Question: How long can a camel survive without water in the desert?

Sive Finlay answered on 13 Nov 2013:

Hi Ronan,
It depends on the temperature and the age and health of the animal but usually camels can survive for about a week without drinking water.
They have lots of different adaptations which allow them to survive for so long without drinking. For example, their red blood cells are oval rather than circular in shape which makes them better at withstanding the osmotic (movement of water associated with pressure) changes when they’re dehydrated. Camels also have a large fat store in their hump (they don’t store water). Keeping the fat in the hump stops them from getting over-heated – which would happen if the fat was distributed around the body – and so helps them to conserve water because they don’t sweat as much. They can also break down (metabolise) the fat for energy which also produces water!
Sive