Camels are herbivorous (plant-eating) mammals with selenodont dentition (be sure to read my article "Teeth II: Herbivores" for more information.). They feed on grass and have a three-chambered ruminant stomach for digestion.
Camelids are first found in the fossil record in the Eocene Epoch (55 to 36 million years ago). Interestingly, they had hooves like modern ungulates during the Oligocene Epoch (36 to 22.5 million years ago) and early Miocene Epoch (22.5 to 5 million years ago). During the late Miocene Epoch and Pliocene Epoch (5 million to 10,000 years ago) they returned to the digigrade (walking on their toes) stance of their ancestors. The splayed toes, as opposed to hooves, give them extra surface area to support their weight while walking on soft substrates like sand.
The Camelids were probably able to spread to Asia and South America from Africa during periods of low sea levels during the Pliocene Epoch and Pleistocene Epoch, when land bridges joined the major land masses.
There are two species of modern camel, the Arabian camel or dromedary with one hump and the Bactrian camel with two humps. The Arabian camel lives in the very hot, sandy deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, while the Bactrian camel lives on the steppes (grasslands) and rocky deserts of Asia, which can range from very hot to very cold. Both species of camel have nostrils that can be closed against blowing sand and as a guard against water loss in the desert.
One common misconception about camels is that their humps contain water. In actuality, the hump is composed of fatty deposits, which allow the camel to survive for long periods without feeding. The breakdown of the fat while the animal goes hungry releases water, so camels do not have to drink during this time.
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