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Bactrian Camel

Mammals

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The Bactrian camel is a large, two-humped camel native to the steppes of Central Asia, distinguished from the single-humped dromedary by its double hump and its long, woolly coat that ranges from dark brown to sandy beige. Adults stand 160 to 180 centimeters at the shoulder, reach overall heights of 230 to 250 centimeters, and weigh 300 to 1,000 kilograms, with males averaging around 600 kilograms and females about 480 kilograms. Its name comes from the ancient historical region of Bactria, and the domesticated Bactrian camel has served as a pack animal across inner Asia since ancient times, with a population of roughly 2 million existing mainly in domesticated form today. It is a separate species from the wild Bactrian camel, Camelus ferus, the two having split around one million years ago.

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