Dromedary
a large camel of the genus Camelus with one hump on its back
The dromedary (Camelus dromedarius), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel and one-humped camel, is a large camel of the genus Camelus with one hump on its back. It is the tallest of the three camel species; adult males stand 1.8–2.4 m (5.9–7.9 ft) at the shoulder, while females are 1.7–1.9 m (5.6–6.2 ft) tall. Males typically weigh between 400 and 690 kg (880 and 1,520 lb), and females weigh between 300 and 540 kg (660 and 1,190 lb).
The dromedary's distinctive features include its long, curved neck, narrow chest, a single hump, and long hairs on the throat, shoulders, and hump. The coat is generally a shade of brown. The hump is 20 cm (7.9 in) tall or more, and is made of fat bound together by fibrous tissue.
The dromedary feeds on foliage and desert vegetation; several adaptations, such as the ability to tolerate losing more than 30% of its total water content, allow it to thrive in its desert habitat. Mating occurs annually and peaks in the rainy season; females bear a single calf after a gestation of 15 months. It is mainly active during daylight hours and forms herds of about 20 individuals, which are led by a dominant male.
The dromedary has not occurred naturally in the wild for nearly 2,000 years.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Dromedary” is a large camel of the genus Camelus with one hump on its back. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Dromedary, large and camel, not as a finished interpretation.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q71516. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Dromedary” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.