When water and food become scarce on the deserts where camels roam, the fatty humps serve as stored food and are used for nourishment. As the camel's body metabolizesor uses up the humps' stored fat, the hump becomes smaller and flabbier. So the longer the camel goes without eating, the smaller its hump gets. The size of a camel's hump helps determine a camel's health, food sources, and overall well-being.

These humps, or reserves of fat, are the reason why camels can go for days without water and food. While humans are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day, camels can go without water for up to 2 weeks!

Camel characteristics:

Camels are the only animals with humps.
Camels can produce up to 600 liters of milk a year.
Camels can close their nostrils.
Camels eat just about anything. When camels are really hungry and there is no food around, they won't think twice about gobbling up people's tents, sandals, or blankets.