Physiological Particularities of Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and Experimental Implications

The one humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) or Arabian camel is an essential source of food and milk in  many parts of the world and especially in developing countries in Africa and Asia. The dromedary plays economic, social and ecological roles. In some regions, camels were expected to  boost local tourism and bring much-needed funds to the local economy. The camel contributes actively to  maintain the desert ecosystem. In fact, it possesses some unique qualities which make it distinctly superior  to other domestic livestock. The capacity of the dromedary to live under desert conditions and to survive in the incredibly hard  environment of the Sahara is due to its biological and physiological particularities. All the functions of the  dromedary organism are conceived to be physiologically adapted to “water and food restrictions” and to a  very hot climate. We will review the homeostatic adaptations in relation to the physiological characteristics of the dromedary  and the experimental implications, which result from these particularities. Indeed, the researcher must  consider the specificities of this species at various levels of the experimentation (housing, acclimation,  handling…) and must take consideration of the normal behaviour of the dromedary and its welfare.