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The animal is capable of drinking up to 100 liters of water at once. The liquid is used to hydrate the body. “With all this supply, your body stays hydrated for up to three weeks”, says biologist Sérgio Rangel Pinheiro, from the Sorocaba Zoo, in São Paulo. As if that weren’t enough, the camel also has some special tricks to reduce its fluid loss to a minimum. The first is in the nostrils, whose interior is shaped like cones and spirals, preventing sand from entering and helping to preserve moisture. The walls of these nasal cavities also have the ability to absorb water.
The back is covered by a dense down that helps the animal to protect itself from the heat, reducing its perspiration. The amount of urine he eliminates is also very small compared to the amount ingested. In addition to being adapted to live in dry places, the camel is also prepared to do with little food: its humps are made up of a large reserve of fat, accumulated in the months when there is food, to be consumed during scarcity.