Animal Facts

Camels
Longleat has two species of camel:-
The Bactrian camel has two humps, comparatively short legs for walking on hilly, rocky ground and a long neck. The feet have thick, elastic pads which spread to take the camel’s weight thus supporting it when walking in sand. It has a thick, woolly coat to protect it against very low temperatures. This moults in large pieces during the summer months causing the animal to look very ‘moth eaten’.

The Dromedary camel has only one hump. Its legs are long and slender with large feet and two toes to spread the camel’s weight in soft terrain. Its large knees have pads to protect them when kneeling down, and it has fine hair on its head, neck, throat and hump to protect it from the hot sun.