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But, where does the water go? The water first goes into the bloodstream. The hemoglobins
in a camel's red blood cells are highly hydrophilic (attracts water). This allows
them to swell to 240% of their normal size. Amazingly, these hemoglobins also resist
hyperhydration, which helps them avoid severe osmotic problems when the camel drinks
a larger amount of water. [39] The blood stream then quickly rehydrates the rest of the body's tissues.
Contrary to the popular myth, only about a gallon and a half of water is stored in
special sacks within a camel's stomach. This is a very limited amount of water and
is not the camels main storage device.
3. Camels minimize water loss through their waste. The camel's kidneys can concentrate
their urine to the consistency of syrup with twice the salt content of sea water.
And, their fecal pellets are so dry that they can be used for cooking fuel immediately
after voiding. [40]
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4. Camels do not sweat, instead they allow their body temperature to rise and fall
from 97.7-107.6°F (36.5-42°C)! That's 10° F (5.5°C)! [41] In humans, an increase of only 2°F (1°C)
is a sign of illness; and, a core temperature rise of 6°F (3 °C) will result
in vital organ damage and eventually death. [42]
5. Camels can drink brackish or salty water that would be unfit for most other animals.
[43]
The camel keeps as cool as it can by resting when the weather is extremely hot, and
feeding at night or in the morning. It will lay down in a shady place, if it can
find one, or face in the direction of the sun to minimize how much of its body is
exposed to the rays. During the heat of the day, a group of camels may press against
each other, because their body temperatures are lower than the air temperature. [44]
In captivity, a camel will usually work only six months of the year. They will become
ill or die, if too much work is demanded from them. [45]
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