99 8 THE UNGULATES, OR HOOFED MAMMALS 



country than its southern congener; its shorter and stouter limbs rendering it far 

 less liable to accidents in traversing precipitous ascents. The largest development 

 of hair occurs upon the top of the head, the neck and shoulders, the upper part of 

 the fore-limbs and the humps. 



The Bactrian camel is found in nearly all the desert regions of Cen- 

 Distribution ira ^ ^ g j a i v j n g between Afghanistan and Turkestan, and China and 

 Southern Siberia. In the regions lying to the eastward of Yarkand, there occur 

 droves of these camels now living in a wild condition, which there is every reason 

 to believe are descended from domesticated individuals escaped from captivity. 

 According to Prejevalski, these wild camels differ from the ordinary domestic race 

 by the smaller size of their humps, the more distinct pads on their wrists (front 

 knees), and certain peculiarities in the conformation of the skull. Major C. S. 

 Cumberland states that "the habitat of the wild camel is the Gobi steppes, from 

 Khoten to L/ob Nor. Except when snow lies on the ground, these animals may be 

 met with here and there along the old bed of the Yarkand and Tarim rivers, which 

 they frequent for the pools of brackish water* that are to be found here and there. 

 But as soon as the snow falls, they move off into the desert, as if then independent 

 of the water supply. They prefer the snow, I imagine, as being less salt than the 

 water, although it also is impregnated to a certain extent soon after it falls. The 

 camel is very shy in its habitSj and, so far as I could ascertain, has never been 

 caught and domesticated. The natives told me that no horse in the country could 

 catch the camels in the deep sand of the region they frequent. . . . They vary 

 in color, like the domestic species, from dark brown to lightish dun. Their origin 

 has yet to be traced. I take it that they have sprung from camels which escaped 

 when the district known as Takla Makun was buried in a great sand storm some 

 two centuries ago. Tradition relates that no human beings survived, but it is likely 

 enough that some of the camels and horses did so, and that this was the origin of 

 the wild camels and ponies which are found in the district." 



The Bactrian camel feeds chiefly upon the saline and bitter plants of 



the steppes which are rejected by almost all other animals; and dis- 

 plays a curious partiality for salt, drinking freely at the brackish water and salt 

 lakes, which are so common throughout its habitat. Instead of confining itself to 

 a strictly vegetable diet, the Bactrian camel, according to the reports of Prejevalski, 

 will, when pressed by hunger, readily devour almost anything that it may come 

 across, including felt blankets, bones and skins of animals, flesh and fish. 



The pairing season occurs during February, March, and April; and 



the young (of which but one is produced at a birth) are not born till 

 thirteen months later, so that the period of gestation is considerably longer than in 

 the Arabian camel. At birth the young are so helpless when the animals are kept 

 in the domesticated state that they have to be attended with the greatest care; but 

 they very soon gain strength, and in about a week are able to eat. They are 

 weaned at an early period for the sake of the milk of the parents, which is largely 

 used by their owners. In their third year they are ridden on short journeys, while 

 in their fifth year they attain their full stature and vigor; and with good manage- 

 ment they are said to be serviceable until they attain the age of some five-and- 



