Medicine and Surgery of Camelids. Группа авторов

and do not continue to grow. Enamel surrounds the crown of the incisors. Incisors like those of guanaco. Feeding strategy Grazer/browser. Prefers to graze succulent forage in marshes and moist places but also utilizes drier grasses and shrubs. Uses broad range of habitat for grazing and browsing. Browser by preference but grazes grasses, even dry, harsh species.

Table 1.3 Weights and sizes of South American camelids.

Characteristic	Vicuña	Alpaca	Guanaco	Llama
Weight (lb/kg)
Adult	99–121/45–55	121–200/55–90	220–265/100–120	250–550/113–250
Birth	9–13/4–6	13–20/6–9	18–33/8–15	18–40/8–18
Height (in/cm)
Adult, at withers	34–38/86–96	30–38/76–96	43–45/110–115	40–47/102–119
				Some imports 38 in.

Table 1.4 Characteristics of camels.

Characteristic	Dromedary Camelus dromedarius	Bactrian Camelus bactrianus	Wild Bactrian C. bactrianus ferus
Breeds/types	50 different breeds recognized	Geographical differences	Single type
	Draft type: heavy body, stocky legs
	Riding type: Slim body, long legs
	Racing type: Similar to riding
Weight (kg)	300–650a	450–700	450–690
Weight of newborn (kg)	26–45	35–54	?
Height at shoulder (cm)	180–210	180–195	180–200
Body length (cm)	120–200	120–200	140–156
Shape	1 firm, upright hump	2 large humps, may be flopped over	2 small, conical humps
Color	Cream to tan to dark brown	Cream to tan to dark brown	Cream to gray–brown
Unique anatomy	Male has a soft palate diverticulum (dulaa) which may protrude from mouth	No dulaa, ears 15 cm	No dulaa, prominent toenail, small foot and flat sole for rapid gait to escape predation. Able to drink salty water, face narrow, ears 10 cm
Fiber/hair	Diameter 20–50 μ	Diameter 10–40 μ, long staple, primary source for camel hair garments.	Short fiber
Special adaptations		Adapted to cooler, arid environments.	Adapted to the deserts of northern China and Mongolia.
Running speed (kph)	21.6–40.3	15–20	40

      ^a Males, castrated as juveniles, may grow taller and larger than 1134 kg (2500 lb).

      

Domestication

      Camels

The approximate time of domestication of a few animals is listed in Table 1.5. The precise time and location of domestication of the Bactrian camel is unknown, but it is thought to have occurred sometime prior to 2500 BCE. On the border of Turkmenistan and Iran on the east side of the Caspian Sea [4]. The name Bactrian is derived from a place called Baktria, located on the Oxus River in northern Afghanistan. Strangely, this is not the place of origin of the domestic two‐humped camel, nor is the species found in this area today.

Figure 1.13 Suggested evolution of recent artiodactylids.

      Source: Adapted from Romer [24] and Simpson [29].

Figure