Bactrian camel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bactrian camel |
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| A Bactrian camel in the Shanghai Zoo | |
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C. bactrianus
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| Camelus bactrianus Linnaeus, 1758
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The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), also called the Mongolian camel, is a large, hoofed animal with two humps. It comes from the steppes of Central Asia. Unlike the dromedary camel which has one hump, the Bactrian camel has two.
There are about two million Bactrian camels in the world today. Most of them are tamed by humans. Their name comes from an old region called Bactria.
For a long time, domesticated Bactrian camels have been used as pack animals in Asia. This means they carry goods for people. They are very good at living in cold, dry places and high mountains. Because of this, they helped people travel along the famous Silk Road, carrying goods in groups called caravans.
It's important to know that domesticated Bactrian camels are a different species from the wild Bactrian camel. The wild Bactrian camel is the only truly wild camel species left in the world.
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