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].