Wild Bactrian Camel (Camelus ferus) — Critically Endangered Mammalia

Wild Bactrian Camel

Camelus ferus

Conservation Status

Critically Endangered

Mammalia · Artiodactyla · Camelidae

About

The wild Bactrian camel or simply the wild camel is an endangered species of camel endemic to Northwest China and southwestern Mongolia. It is closely related but not ancestral to the domestic Bactrian camel. Genetic studies have established it as a separate species which diverged from the Bactrian camel about 0.7–1.1 million years ago.

Fun Fact

Wild Bactrian camels can drink saltwater slush that would kill most other mammals, an adaptation to the saline springs of the Gobi Desert, where fewer than 1,000 individuals remain.

Quick Facts

Habitat

Desert and arid steppe

Diet

Herbivore

Lifespan

40-50 years

Threats

  • Extremely Small Wild Population
  • Hunting and Competition with Domestic Animals
  • Nuclear Testing Contamination at Lop Nur

External Data Sources

Recent sightings on iNaturalist IUCN Red List profile

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