CAMELS. 
411 
Distribution. 
The Bactrian camel is found in nearly all the desert-regions of 
Central Asia lying 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 
steppe, from Khotan to Lob 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 habits, 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 colour, 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 displays 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 vigour; and 
with good management they are said to be serviceable until they attain the age of 
some five-and-twenty years. In Mongolia and on the Kirghiz steppes the Bactrian 
camel is fully as important to the nomad inhabitants as is its southern cousin in 
Arabia. 
Food. 
Habits. 
