Dromedary

The dromedary drɒmədɛri or -ədri, also called the Arabian camel Camelus dromedarius, is a large, even-toed ungulate with one hump on its back. Greek philosopher Aristotle 4th century BCE was the first to describe the species, and the animal was given its current binomial name by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish zoologist. 

The dromedary is the largest camel after the Bactrian camel. Adult male dromedaries stand 1.8–2 m 5.9–6.6 ft  at the shoulder, while females are 1.7–1.9 m 5.6–6.2 ft tall. The weight typically ranges from 400–600 kg 880–1,320 lb in males and 300–540 kg 660–1,190 lb in females. The distinctive features of this camel are its long curved neck, narrow chest and only one hump compared to the two on the Bactrian camel, thick double-layered eyelashes and bushy eyebrows.The coat is generally a shade of brown, but can range from black to nearly white.The hump, which can be 20 cm 7.9 in tall or more, is made up 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. Some males form bachelor groups. Dromedaries show no signs of territoriality, as herds often merge during calamities. Predators in the wild include wolves and lions; and tigers in the past. 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 minimised. 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. Mating usually occurs in winter, often overlapping the rainy season. One calf is born after the gestational period of 15 months, and is nurtured for about two years.The term camel could have been derived from the Latin camelus, or the Greek kamēlos. It could also have originated from an old Semitic language, for example from the Hebrew gāmāl or the Arabic ǧamal. A northern oïl dialect, such as Old Norman or Old Picard, could have also been an intermediate, where the word for "camel" was camel compare Old French chamel, modern French chameau. The scientific name of the dromedary is Camelus dromedarius, which could be based on the Greek δρομὰς κάμηλος dromas kamelos, which means running camel.