0306 Kiss me baby - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Along the road from Mount Nebo to the Dead Sea we came across a herd of camels grazing alongside the road, so I stopped to photograph them. This female looks as if she is puckering up for a kiss from me, when in fact she was chewing.
The dromedary, also called the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), is a large, even-toed ungulate with one hump on its back. Males are 1.8–2 m (5.9–6.6 ft) tall and females are 1.7–1.9 m (5.6–6.2 ft) tall. Males range from 400–600 kg (880–1,320 lb), while females weigh 300–540 kg (660–1,190 lb). They vary in colour from a light beige to dark brown. The notable hump, measuring 20 cm (7.9 in) high, is composed of fat bound together by fibrous tissue. Their diet includes foliage and desert vegetation, like thorny plants which their extremely tough mouths allow them to eat. These camels are active in the day, and rest together in groups. Led by a dominant male, each herd consists of about 20 individuals. Dromedaries use a wide set of vocalizations to communicate with each other. They have various adaptations to help them exist in their desert habitat. Dromedaries have bushy eyebrows and two rows of long eyelashes to protect their eyes, and can close their nostrils to face sandstorms. Their ears are also lined with protective hair. When water-deprived, they can fluctuate their body temperature by 6 °C, changing from a morning minimum of 34° to a maximum of 40° or so in the afternoon. This reduces heat flow from the environment to the body and thereby water loss through perspiration is minimized. They have specialized kidneys, which make them able to tolerate water loss of more than 30% of their body mass; a loss of 15% would prove fatal in most other animals. Their hair is a highly regarded source material for woven goods and their dung is used as fertilizer and fuel.
0306 Kiss me baby - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Along the road from Mount Nebo to the Dead Sea we came across a herd of camels grazing alongside the road, so I stopped to photograph them. This female looks as if she is puckering up for a kiss from me, when in fact she was chewing.
The dromedary, also called the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), is a large, even-toed ungulate with one hump on its back. Males are 1.8–2 m (5.9–6.6 ft) tall and females are 1.7–1.9 m (5.6–6.2 ft) tall. Males range from 400–600 kg (880–1,320 lb), while females weigh 300–540 kg (660–1,190 lb). They vary in colour from a light beige to dark brown. The notable hump, measuring 20 cm (7.9 in) high, is composed of fat bound together by fibrous tissue. Their diet includes foliage and desert vegetation, like thorny plants which their extremely tough mouths allow them to eat. These camels are active in the day, and rest together in groups. Led by a dominant male, each herd consists of about 20 individuals. Dromedaries use a wide set of vocalizations to communicate with each other. They have various adaptations to help them exist in their desert habitat. Dromedaries have bushy eyebrows and two rows of long eyelashes to protect their eyes, and can close their nostrils to face sandstorms. Their ears are also lined with protective hair. When water-deprived, they can fluctuate their body temperature by 6 °C, changing from a morning minimum of 34° to a maximum of 40° or so in the afternoon. This reduces heat flow from the environment to the body and thereby water loss through perspiration is minimized. They have specialized kidneys, which make them able to tolerate water loss of more than 30% of their body mass; a loss of 15% would prove fatal in most other animals. Their hair is a highly regarded source material for woven goods and their dung is used as fertilizer and fuel.