Belonging to the genus Camelus, the camel comes in two main species: dromedary/Arabian and Bactrian. The most distinctive feature of a camel is its humps which are composed entirely of body fat. The dromedary camel has one hump and the Bactrian has two humps. A camel can be one of the six members of the Camelidae family.

An adult camel is an average height of six feet with a 30 inch back hump. Although this pack animal is usually walking or stationary in popular media, they can run at a speed of 40 miles per hour. Most camels live for 40 to 50 years and find work as a pack animal. In Asia, camels are bred for milk and meat. Camels are useful animals to nomadic tribes that live in arid and desert regions.

A camel's hump is not a water reserve but a fat reserve which prevents over heating in hot climates. Camels survive for long periods of time without drinking water because they have specially adapted blood cells. Camel blood cells are oval rather than round in shape which helps them function with less water. They also allow a camel to drink large quantities of water without damaging their cells.

Camels eat desert plants as they have very strong mouths able to chew through the plant's tough exteriors. Their fur is very thick and protects them from excessive sunlight and loss of body moisture due to sweating. In fact animals excrete sweat at the skin rather than the fur level making heat loss and gain more efficient than most animals.

In the past, camels were utilized as military animals during the Victorian era due to the high efficiency and durability of their bodies under desert conditions.