A shaggy brown Bactrian camel with two humps standing in a zoo yard. — Photo: Christian Ursilva, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bactrian Camel

Camelus bactrianus (domestic); wild relative Camelus ferus

A two-humped camel of Central Asian deserts, domesticated thousands of years ago as a pack animal that can go a long time without food or water.

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About the Bactrian Camel

Bactrian camels stand 7.5 to 8 feet tall and weigh 650 to 1,500 pounds. Long eyelashes, hairy ears and nostrils that close protect them from desert sand and dust, and wide, tough feet help them cross sand. People domesticated camels 4,000 to 6,000 years ago. A camel can carry up to 550 pounds for about 30 miles a day and go a long time without food or water.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Camelus bactrianus (domestic); wild relative Camelus ferus^[1][2]
Size: 7.5 to 8 feet tall and 7 to 11 feet long. Males are larger.^[1]
Weight: 650 to 1,500 pounds.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Mainly grasses and other plants.^[1]
Habitat: Wild Bactrian camels live in deserts, grasslands and mountains.^[1]
Where it lives: Wild Bactrian camels live in the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts of Mongolia and China.^[1]
Group life: Herds of 6 to 20 led by a dominant male.^[1]
Babies: Pregnancy lasts about 13 months. Usually one calf, about 80 pounds at birth.^[1]
Conservation status: Domestic. The wild Bactrian camel is Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2025).^[2]

Fun facts

A Bactrian camel can carry up to 550 pounds for about 30 miles a day.^[1]
Camels can close their nostrils to keep out sand and dust.^[1]
Remember: "B" for Bactrian has two humps; "D" for Dromedary has one.^[1]
People have used camel meat, milk, hair, hide and even dung (as fuel).^[1]

Vocabulary

domesticated: Tamed and raised by people over many generations.
hump: A mound of fat on a camel's back that stores energy.
pack animal: An animal used to carry loads.
cud: Food that an animal brings back up from its stomach to chew again.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · MammalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Bactrian camel.” https://www.sfzoo.org/bactrian-camel/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Camelus ferus (Wild Camel).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/63543/50197851 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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