How long can camels survive without water?
Camels can go without water for up to two weeks. Camels can survive a 40% loss of body weight without serious consequences. Heavy fur and the fatty hump serve to insulate the body, preventing body temperature from rising to the sweating point (the major cause of water loss). When water again becomes available, camels are able to restore their body water quickly; they have been known to drink one third of their body weight in 10 minutes. The humps on a camel’s back are actually huge heaps of fat and flesh that can weigh as much as 80 pounds in a healthy camel. When water and food become scarce on the deserts where camels roam, the fatty humps serve as stored food and are used for nourishment. As the camel’s body metabolizes or uses up the humps’ stored fat, the hump becomes smaller and flabbier. So the longer the camel goes without eating, the smaller its hump gets. The size of a camel’s hump helps determine a camel’s health, food sources, and overall well-being.
