Do camel humps store water?
In short: No. Camel humps store fat. Water is conserved through efficient kidneys, dry faeces, nasal moisture recovery and the ability to tolerate large swings in body temperature and hydration.
By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated
- Key takeaways
-
- Humps store fat, not water.
- Water economy comes from kidneys, gut, nose and thermoregulation.
- A soft or lean hump usually means fat has been used, not that the camel is “empty of water”.
A hump is a fat reservoir. When food is scarce the camel metabolises that fat for energy; the hump shrinks and can flop to one side. It is not a tank of water.
Desert water balance comes from other adaptations: concentrated urine, very dry faeces, the ability to drink large volumes when water is available, and nasal passages that reclaim moisture from exhaled air. Camels can also allow body temperature to rise during the day, reducing the need to sweat.
The fat-hump design still helps indirectly in heat: concentrating adipose tissue in one place leaves the rest of the body freer to shed heat than a uniformly insulated animal would be.