Do Camels Store Water in Their Humps?

We have two camels in our petting zoo at the Creation Museum that give rides to guests and spend time in the live Nativity during Christmas Town. It’s exciting to use the petting zoo animals as a tool to teach people about the Creator and His design. It’s always our goal to uphold God’s Word and educate our guests about the animals we have from a biblical worldview. Our zookeepers love answering questions from guests!

One of the most common questions our zookeepers get is, “Do they store water in their humps?” No, that is actually a myth! But God has designed these creatures perfectly, from their specially padded feet all the way down to their blood cells to survive in extreme weather.

In fact, their distinct red blood cells are one of the reasons camels don’t store water in their humps. A camel’s hump is made up of fat and cartilage, but God has given the camelid kind (including llamas and alpacas) unique football-shaped red blood cells. They are much smaller than the circular red blood cells of most other animals, which allows for continued circulation even when the camel is dehydrated. The specialized blood cells are also designed with the ability to expand immensely with water when the camel rehydrates, which is why camels can drink up to 30 gallons in ten minutes! The blood cells of other animals would burst if they tried to drink that much water in one sitting!

Check out these pictures our vet tech got of several blood samples taken from our animals while checking their health.

Camelid red blood cells

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Zorse red blood cells (similar to most mammal blood cells)

We invite you to come out to the Creation Museum during the remaining nights of Christmas Town this year (December 18, 19, 26, and 28) to meet Gomer and CJ. Or come during the warmer months and take a ride around the track! See you soon!