Abstract
The dromedary, also called the one-humped camel, can live and adapt well to the harsh and hot climate of the desert due to its functional anatomical particularities. Both the dromedary and the ox are known as artiodactyls. Anatomically, they have a few similarities but many differences. This paper aims to review the digestive and respiratory anatomy of the two species and enumerate their main particularities. The camel’s mouth is thick and unique; it helps them to be selective with regard to food and to avoid any thorny plants. The nostrils of the dromedary are slit-like, with wings that can close to ensure protection against the wind and the sand; they also have a role in the conservation of water. Contrary to the ox, the dromedary’s lungs are not lobulated, and the diaphragm has a unique structure. Unlike the bovids, camelids have only three distinct digestive chambers instead of four; there is no clear distinction between the third and fourth chambers. In addition, they have glandular sac areas called “water cells” instead of papillae in the rumen. Their liver is lobulated, and without a gall bladder.
1. Introduction
Camelidae includes six species: the Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus; two humps), the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius; one hump), lamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicunas [1]. The dromedary is an animal that is frequently cited as an example of adaptation and resistance to harsh environmental conditions. This is due in part to its anatomy, particularly its digestive and respiratory systems, which are distinct from those of other domestic ruminants. The dromedary and the ox both belong to the order of the artiodactyls, the first to the Tylopoda sub-order and the second to the Ruminantia sub-order [2]. They share several anatomical characteristics (extern and intern anatomy). However, there are some anatomical features specific only to camels. Due to these anatomical particularities, the camel is able to survive in the hot and dry conditions of the desert. The purpose of this paper is to document the main anatomical particularities between these two large ruminants’ digestive and respiratory systems.
2. Material and Methods
This paper includes 5 manuscripts: 4 research articles [1,3,4,5] and one review paper [6]. It focuses on the main differences between the digestive and respiratory systems of the dromedary and the ox.
3. Results and Discussion
Table 1.
Some particularities of the digestive tract between the dromedary and the ox [1,4,7,8].
Table 2.
Some particularities of the respiratory system between the dromedary and the ox [3,4,8,9].
4. Conclusions
The digestive and respiratory systems of the dromedary have some anatomical particularities that allow him to survive in the desert, where food and water are infrequent and the environment is hot and windy [6]. These distinctions aid in our understanding of the camel’s way of life and physiological properties.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, M.B. and R.R.; methodology, M.B.; software, M.B.; validation, R.R., F.T.-Z. and C.G.; formal analysis, M.B.; investigation, M.B.; resources, M.B.; data curation, M.B.; writing—original draft preparation, M.B.; writing—review and editing, M.B., F.T.-Z. and C.G.; visualization, C.G.; supervision, F.T.-Z. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
No new data were created or analyzed in this study. Data sharing is not applicable to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Amira Leila DIB for her invaluable guidance, and Nedjoua LAKHDARA for her assistance with the translation.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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