Wild Bactrian camel  (Camelus ferus)

The two-humped wild Bactrian camel is the ancestor of all domestic camels (3). It is extremely well adapted for the harsh desert climate that it inhabits. Sandstorm damage is reduced by the dense eyelashes and the narrow nostrils that can be closed tightly against the storms (4). The two toes are connected with an undivided sole and are able to spread widely, allowing the camel greater ability to walk on sandy ground (2). They posses the characteristic camel body shape with a long curved neck, long legs and a split upper lip (5), born at the end of the long triangular face (2). The coat of the wild Bactrian camel tends to be lighter than its domestic relative and is a sandier grey-brown colour (4); it becomes thick and shaggy in winter when temperatures can fall to –30 degrees Celsius (4), and is lost in big sections as temperatures increase (2).