From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
| Dromedary | ||||||||||||||||
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| Camelus dromedarius | ||||||||||||||||
The Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) is a large even-toed ungulate native to northern Africa and western Asia, and the best-known member of the camel family.
Originally native to northern Africa and western Asia, Dromedaries were first domesticated in central or southern Arabia some thousand of years ago. Experts are divided as to the date: some believe it was around 4000 BC, others as recently as 1400 BC. At present there are almost 13 million domesticated Dromedaries, mostly in the area from India to northern Africa. None survive in the wild, although there is an escaped feral population of about 200,000 in Australia.
Gestation lasts 13-15 months. Usually a single calf is born, and nursed for up to 18 months. Females are sexually mature after 3 to 4 years, males after 5 to 6 years. Lifespan in captivity is typically about 40 years, some animals living to be as muh as 50.
