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In the wintertime, camels can gather enough moisture from the plants they eat to
go as much as 50 days without water. However, in the summertime, they may only go
5 days without water. [34]
Camels have 4 major ways of surviving without water.
1. Camels are capable of losing safely 30% of their body's weight in water, which
would kill any other animal. [35]
They can do this because:
 A. Fluid levels
in their circulator system are maintained by taking fluid from the body's tissues.
B. The hydrophilicity
(attracts water) of a camel's hemoglobins means its red blood cells resist dehydration.
C. Red blood
cells (erythrocytes) are normally circular, except in the family Camelidae, where
they are oval. These small oval erythrocytes can circulate more easily at increased
blood viscosities.[36]
D. Camel blood
contains 94% water, just like humans. But during dehydration, their blood can lose
up to 40% of its water safely. According to doctors, human blood must stay very close
to 94% water. If it loses 5% of its water, you go blind; at 10%, you can't hear and
go insane; 12%, and your blood is as thick as molasses. Unable to circulate blood,
you're dead. [37]
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In effect, these biomechanisms for coping with dehydration, allow camels to use water
in their body tissue as storage capacity, because the water can be used without any
damage to the camel's health.
2. Camels are capable of drinking 30 gallons (113.56 L) of water in 10 minutes. Scientists
have even found a camels stomach empty 10 minutes after drinking 20 gallons (75.7
L) of water. [38] In other animals, drinking that much water would quickly result in water
intoxication. This is a dangerous condition, where low electrolyte levels (sodium,
etc) in the blood serum cause water to be forced into the body's cells and tissues
through a process called osmosis. In humans, this electrolyte imbalance and tissue
swelling can cause an irregular heartbeat, allow fluid to enter the lungs, and put
pressure on the brain and nerves, which can cause behaviors resembling alcohol intoxication.
In severe cases, swelling brain tissue can cause seizures, coma, and ultimately death.
This is probably what started the myth that if you let a camel drinking as much as
it wants, it will drink itself to death.
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