Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Specy

Wild Bactrian Camel

Mammals

An endangered wild camel endemic to remote pockets of northwest China and southwestern Mongolia's Gobi Desert, genetically distinct from the domestic Bactrian camel and surviving on arid plains and hills where water is scarce and vegetation is sparse. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Diet
Herbivore 1
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Derived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill).
Scientific Name
Camelus ferus 1
Conservation Status
Endangered 1
Downgraded by the IUCN from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2025 despite an ongoing population decrease.
Population Estimate
950 1
Around 950 individuals remain; a 2013 study confirmed at least 382 in China, with Chinese nature reserves estimated to hold 640 to 740.
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Wild Bactrian camels have long, narrow slit-like nostrils, a double row of long thick eyelashes, and ears with hairs that provide protection against desert sandstorms. They have tough undivided soles with two large toes that spread wide apart, and a hard, calloused layer which enables them to walk on rough, hot, stony, or sandy terrain. 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Artiodactyla, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life

In Biome

Desert, Biomes
Source Wild Bactrian Camel (Wikipedia)

In Ecosystem

Gobi Desert, Ecosystems
Source Wild Bactrian Camel (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wild Bactrian Camel (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead and Habitat section
    The wild Bactrian camel is an endangered species of camel endemic to Northwest China and southwestern Mongolia.
  • Taxobox
  • Conservation status section
    As of 2025 the IUCN downgraded the Wild Bactrian Camel from Critically Endangered to Endangered despite the decrease in its population.
  • Population section
    Currently, there are only around 950 wild Bactrian camels.
  • Wikipedia, Description section
    Wild Bactrian camels have long, narrow slit-like nostrils, a double row of long thick eyelashes, and ears with hairs that provide protection against desert sandstorms. They have tough undivided soles with two large toes that spread wide apart, and a hard, calloused layer which enables them to walk on rough, hot, stony, or sandy terrain.
  • System/realm (stated plainly in the entity own recorded description)
    An endangered wild camel endemic to remote pockets of northwest China and southwestern Mongolia's Gobi Desert, genetically distinct from the domestic Bactrian camel and surviving on arid plains and hills where water is scarce and vegetation is sparse.
  • In Ecosystem: Gobi Desert, Behaviour section photo caption
    Wild Bactrian camels in the Gobi desert
  • In Biome: Desert, Wikipedia 'Wild Bactrian camel': lives in the Gobi Desert region (Lop Nur / Great Gobi A protected areas)
View the Source
Wikidata: Wild Bactrian Camel
Wikidata Q3030198, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: ArtiodactylaView the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.