Camels have played an important role in the lives of many people for at least four thousand years, and this is mainly because camels have a wonderful ability to live in places where other large animals could never survive. The body of a camel looks strange to us with a long curved neck, slender legs, tiny ears, huge feet, a long nose that puts a “smug” expression on its face and of course a lump on its back. It seems as if the camel is made of spare parts from five or six other animals. However, the strange body of a camel is perfect for living in a hot and sandy desert. Almost every part of its body helps it survive in places where few animals can live. Nature has endowed the camel with tactics to survive in the harsh and harsh environment of the desert.

The desert wind often blows sand into the air. To protect their eyes, camels have long eyelashes that catch most of the sand. If sand gets into the eye, the camel has a special third eyelid to pull it out. Like a car windshield wiper, this extra eyelid flicks back and forth, pushing sand away. The eyelid is very thin, so a camel can see through it. In sandstorms, camels often close their extra eyelids and keep walking. You could say that a camel can find its way through a sandstorm “with its eyes closed.”

The huge legs of camels help them walk on the sand without sinking into it. A camel’s toe can be as big as a large plate. Do the long legs of a camel make it difficult for the animal to sit up? No. The camel simply folds its front legs under its body and falls to its knees. Then bend the back legs and let the back of the body drop to the ground. This works so well that camels can sit up and get back up with heavy loads on their backs.

The head of a camel has built-in sun visors to help keep sunlight out of your eyes. There are broad ridges of bone above each eye. These stick out just enough to protect your eyes when the sun is high. Camel ears are small to make it harder for sand to penetrate them. Long legs and a long neck are great advantages for camels in the desert. Camels can lift their heads more than 12 feet in the air. And they can often see miles in flat desert. This makes it easier for them to find food and water.

To prevent sand from blowing into their noses, camels can close their nostrils. When there is no sand in the wind, a camel can open its nostrils and breathe through its nose. When the wind begins to whip the sand, the camel simply closes its nose. Wouldn’t it be fun if you could open and close your nose? The next time you see a camel, these facts will make it more interesting and catchy.