Syrian camel
Syrian camel in LOST ZOO
The Syrian camel (Camelus moreli) is the first wild dromedary which ever found in Northern Africa, Arabia and the Middle East.
Remarkable and unique for the Syrian camel is its huge body size, as tall as an African elephant of our days.
Like the modern dromedaries the Syrian camel has only one hump.
The pads widen under its weight when the Syrian camel steps on the ground. This prevents from sinking into the sand. When the Syrian camel walks, it moves both the feet on the same side of the body at the same time.
Like all Old World’s camels, also the Syrian camel emigrated originally from North America over the Bering land bridge to Asia and Africa. For thousands of years the wild dromedary was only known on rock paintings of the old indigenous people in Africa and the Middle East. But in 2006 the Syrian camel, a wild dromedary, was found in the Syrian Desert near Damascus. Perhaps it is the ancestor of all domestic dromedaries, which are kept today in dry areas of Africa, the Middle East and Australia.
Shoulder height: over 300 cm
Total height: 400 cm
Body weight: about 1.000 kg
Body weight: 4-6 tons
Habitat: Restricted on arid and semi-arid regions in Arabia and the Middle East.
Extinction: Between 90.000 and 100.000 years ago.
