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The wild Bactrian camel is slightly smaller than the domestic Bactrian camel and has been described as "lithe, and slender-legged, with very narrow feet and a body that looks laterally compressed." [ 18 ] The humps of the wild Bactrian camel are smaller, lower, and more conical in shape than those of the domestic Bactrian camel.
The Bactrian camel shares the genus Camelus with the dromedary (C. dromedarius) and the wild Bactrian camel (C. ferus).The Bactrian camel belongs to the family Camelidae. [1] [5] The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first European to describe the camels: in his 4th century BCE History of Animals, he identified the one-humped Arabian camel and the two-humped Bactrian camel.
Dromedary camels, bactrian camels, llamas, and alpacas are all induced ovulators. [8] The three Afro-Asian camel species have developed extensive adaptations to their lives in harsh, near-waterless environments. Wild populations of the Bactrian camel are even able to drink brackish water, and some herds live in nuclear test areas. [9]
Confusing wild camels with the well-known Bactrian domestic camel risks masking the plight of the critically endangered species, a study warns. There are less than 950 wild camels (Camelus ferus ...
The Bactrian camel is, as of 2010, reduced to an estimated 1.4 million animals, most of which are domesticated. [42] [155] [163] The Wild Bactrian camel is the only truly wild (as opposed to feral) camel in the world. It is a distinct species that is not ancestral to the domestic Bactrian camel.
The zookeeper explained that domestic Bactrian camels "act as an ambassador species for their critically endangered ‘cousins’ the wild camel (Camelus ferus) in Mongolia and China."
Live camels are occasionally exported to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Brunei, and Malaysia, where disease-free wild camels are prized as a delicacy. Australia's camels are also exported as breeding stock for Arab camel racing stables, and for use in tourist venues in places such as the United States. [61]
Lop Nur was also the natural habitat of the wild Bactrian camel and also a former nuclear testing site. The wild Bactrian camels are also able to tolerate salt water with a higher salt content than sea water, explaining their residence in Lop Nur. He undertook expeditions in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999 to Lop Nur.