Why Do Camels Have Thick Fur?

If you’ve ever seen a camel in person or in a picture, you’ve probably noticed how thick its hair is.

Now, if a camel has hair in its ears, it can keep sand from getting inside its body.

But what about other body parts?

Why do some parts of a camel’s body have thick fur while other parts don’t?

Before we answer this and other questions, let’s first make sure we understand a few things.

First, this article will only talk about the fur of Camelus, which includes the Dromedary, Bactrian, and Wild Bactrian camels.

Second, the words “camel fur” and “camel wool” will mean the same thing: a thick growth of hair that covers a camel’s skin.

And yes, a camel’s fur is thick. But the body’s density is not the same everywhere.

Why Do Camels Have Thick Wool On Their Back?

The Middle East, the Sahara, Central Asia, Mongolia, China, and Australia are home to most of the Old World Camels, which are also called Camelus.

Some of these places can have really harsh weather.

For example, when you think of the Sahara, where most camels are Dromedaries, you might first picture a hot, blazing sun burning the yellow sand.

During the night, however, the temperature can change in a big way.

It can get as cold as -3.9°C (about 25°F).

This is where the thick fur helps.

Camels have thick wool on their backs to keep them warm at night when it’s cold in the desert and to keep their skin from getting burned during the day.

The thick fur is important for Bactrian camels in particular. Their homes can get very cold in the winter, so having an extra layer of insulation can be very helpful.

How Thick Is A Camel’s Fur?

Scientists at the University of Bahri say that dromedary camel fur is made up of two parts:

  • The harsh outer hair
  • The fine inner hair
  • The outer fibers are up to 14.9 inches long (37.5cm), while the inner fine hair is between 0.9 inches and 4.9 inches long (2.5cm to 12.5cm) in the abdominal region of the animal.

The same scientists say that the hair on the outside is almost three times thicker than the hair on the inside. Its diameter ranges from 20 to 120 microns, and the diameter of its inner hairs varies from 19 to 24 microns.

Human hair, for example, is between 50 and 70 microns thick.

The camel’s thick, long hair gives it great protection from the sun and helps it keep more water.

The camel’s light-colored hair reflects the sun’s rays, and each fur follicle keeps heat from getting to the animal’s skin. The animal doesn’t get any of that heat, so it doesn’t get to raise its body temperature. Because of this, less water is used to try to cool off.

The difference in temperature between the animal’s outer and inner hair can be as high as 54 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).

At the end of winter, a camel will rub itself against trees and bushes to get rid of its wool.

If the camel is in a zoo, zoologists and visitors can help it shed its wool. This is a great way to get to know the animal.

What Color Is Camel Fur?

When it comes to color, a camel’s fur is usually a reddish-brown color, but it can also be brown or grey. White camel wool is very valuable, but it is very hard to find.

In Ethiopia, for example, a study on the production of camels found that camels from different places had different hair colors:

  • Most of the medium-sized hair on Jijiga camel was brown.
  • Hoor camel had short hair that was brown to red and yellowish-white.
  • Most of Gelleb camel’s fur was brown and red.
  • Amibara camel had short fur that was brown to gray.
  • Mille camel’s hair was short and red to brown in color.
  • Liben camel was brown, red, black, and white.
  • Shinille camel’s fur was grey and brown.

Why Do Camels Have Thin Hair On Their Tummy?

Why do camels have thin hair on their stomachs if their thick fur helps them deal with the cold nights and hot days?

There are a number of reasons.

During the day, the thick, usually light-colored fur on top of a camel protects it from the sun and acts as a reflector. As we’ve already said, it also keeps water in.

The warm sun doesn’t reach the camel’s stomach as much during the day, so there are more blood vessels near the bottom of the skin. This has helped camels sweat more, which has helped them control their body temperature and keep it right.

At night, when the temperature drops below 0 degrees, camels sleep so that their stomachs aren’t as exposed to the cold.

So, camels have thin hair on their bellies so they can better control their body temperature, lose heat when it’s hot, and spend less time in cold weather when it’s cold.

Why Do Camels Have Shaggy Fur?

Camels have shaggy fur so that they can adapt better to different weather conditions. Camels live in places where it gets very cold, especially in the winter. Their thick, shaggy fur helps them stay warm.

As the weather gets warmer, the camel gets rid of its thick fur and grows thinner, shorter hair instead.

Conclusion

Camels have thick wool on their backs to keep them warm at night when it’s cold in the desert. They also have thick fur on their ears to keep sand from getting inside their body. But why do some parts of a camel’s body have such thick fur and others don’t? Long, light-colored fur gives the camel great protection from the sun’s rays. Camel wool is very valuable, but it is very hard to find.

Camel fur can be reddish-brown or gray in color, and it can also be brown or brown. Camels have shaggy fur so that they can adapt better to different weather conditions. The thick fur on top of a camel protects it from the sun and acts as a reflector. Camels also have thin hair on their bellies so they can better control their body temperature.

About
Jake Willhoite
Jake runs AnimalDome.com and has had cats and dogs his entire life. As a kid his family adopted several dogs from the local shelter which set him down the path of animal rescue.
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