骆驼-沙漠之舟.docVIP

骆驼:沙漠之舟When most people all over the world think of the Sahara, they picture golden sand dunes being traversed by a graceful caravan of camels. It is easy to imagine the caravans of the traders heading into the desert. With no food or water needed for the beasts of burden, we fancy that the journey was made easier. The truth is, by far, stranger than this romantic image that has grown up around the camel, the beast of burden which helped spread wealth around the ancient world. One of the most enduring and misunderstood myths about the camel is its ability to go days without water. Contrary to popular belief, a camel does not store water in its hump. It is in fact a mound of fatty tissue from which the animal draws energy when food is hard to find. When a camel’s energy reserves become low from lack of food, the hump shrinks and becomes soft and will actually flop over to one side. The resilient nature of the animal can be seen in the rapid return of the hump to its normal firm upright self after just a few days of good grazing. The camel stores water in its blood stream, an interesting physiological process. This remarkable animal has developed, over the centuries, a unique water saving biology. Capable of losing forty percent of its body’s weight before becoming distressed, it is able to go five to seven days before having to drink. The amount it drinks when water is available, up to 21 gallons in about 10 minutes, would cause severe problems in most animals. If moisture-laden forage is available, a camel will not need as much water. The water it drinks can be too salty or brackish for other animals. The camel’s mouth, teeth, nose and stomach have all developed to allow it to eat plants that are not palatable to other desert animals. Its mouth is tough and rubbery so that thorns and branches won’t damage it. The thirty-four sharp teeth allow it to bite off tough pieces of almost anything, and when forage is short a camel can ①subsist on meats, skin and bon