Camels Honor

Nature Study

Requirements

1. Explain the differences between the dromedary and the Bactrian camel. Why are both recognized and important?

   Answer: The dromedary has only one hump and lives in hot deserts (North Africa, Arabia). The Bactrian camel has two humps and lives in cold regions (Central Asia). Both are important for transport, milk, wool, meat, and their ability to survive in extreme environments without water for days. — The dromedary is Camelus dromedarius and the Bactrian is Camelus bactrianus. The humps store fat (not water), which serves as an energy reserve. Camels carry up to 200 kg in caravans and are called 'ships of the desert' because of this age-old logistical importance.

2. Describe the following characteristics of camels:
   • 3 uses attributed to them
   • Amount of water they drink
   • 3 survival qualities
   • Origin

   Answer: 1) Three uses attributed to the camel: transport of people and cargo; milk production; and the provision of wool and leather. 2) Amount of water they drink: they can ingest a large volume at once, reaching about 100 liters in a few minutes, and then go for long periods without drinking. 3) Three survival qualities: high tolerance to dehydration and heat; nostrils that close and filter out sand; and long eyelashes and eyelids that protect the eyes against the dust and wind of the desert. 4) Origin: the camel is native to Asia and Africa. There are two main species — the dromedary (one hump), typical of Arabia and North Africa, and the Bactrian camel (two humps), native to Central Asia. — Camels survive losing up to 25% of their body weight in water without dying (humans die at 12%). Their nostrils close against sandstorms, and their padded feet do not sink into the dune. The milk has 3x more vitamin C than cow's milk, according to FAO data.

3. Mention 3 South American camelids and analyze the following:
   • Region where they live
   • Use attributed to it
   • Physical characteristics
   • Type of diet

   Answer: The three South American camelids are the llama, the alpaca, and the vicuña. 1) Region where they live: in the Andes Mountains, in South America, mainly in Peru and Bolivia (also in Chile, Ecuador, and Argentina), at high altitudes. 2) Use attributed to them: the llama is used for transport and cargo; the alpaca is raised for its fine, soft wool; and the vicuña provides a premium wool, very rare and valuable. 3) Physical characteristics: they are smaller animals without a hump, with a long neck, erect ears, and woolly coat. The llama is the largest of them; the alpaca is smaller and woolier; and the vicuña is the smallest, slender, with a light/reddish coat. 4) Type of diet: they are herbivores and ruminants, feeding on grass, grasses, and low plants of the high-altitude pastures of the Andes. — These animals are South American camelids, close relatives of Asian camels. The vicuña's wool is considered the finest in the world (12 micrometers) and costs up to US$ 3,000/kg. The guanaco is the fourth South American camelid, the wild cousin of the domesticated llama.

4. Do research on the predation of South American camelids. Why are these animals at risk of extinction?

   Answer: Natural predators of the South American camelids (llama, alpaca, vicuña, guanaco): puma and Andean fox (and, on the young, the Andean condor). Reasons for the risk of extinction, especially of the vicuña and the guanaco: 1) illegal hunting for the ultrafine and valuable wool (the vicuña was nearly driven to extinction in the 20th century because of this); 2) habitat loss and fragmentation due to agriculture, overgrazing, and mining in the Andes; 3) competition for pasture and water with domestic herds; 4) uncontrolled crossbreeding with domesticated animals, which dilutes the original wild genetics. Management programs (controlled shearing of the vicuña) have helped the species recover. — The vicuña was once on the brink of extinction (5,000 individuals in the 1960s), but conservation coordinated by Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina recovered the population to more than 350,000 today, according to the IUCN. Lithium mining in the Andes once again threatens these ecosystems.

5. Make a study of the text of Matthew 19:24, emphasizing the words of Jesus. Write 200 words about what you learned from this lesson (use biblical commentaries to understand the context; it is necessary to read the entire chapter of Matthew 19).

   Answer: In Matthew 19:24, Jesus says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The teaching is about the danger of attachment to riches, not that wealth itself is a sin. — The context is the rich young man who refuses to follow Jesus because of his possessions (Mt 19:16-22). Some commentators say the 'eye of the needle' was a small gate in Jerusalem, but modern scholars reject that theory — Jesus used hyperbole to show human impossibility without God.

6. Research 5 biblical texts that mention camels.

   Answer: Five biblical texts that mention camels: 1) Genesis 24:10-20 — Rebecca gives water to the ten camels of Abraham's servant; 2) Judges 7:12 — the Midianites and Amalekites had camels "as the sand by the sea side"; 3) 1 Kings 10:2 — the Queen of Sheba arrives in Jerusalem with camels loaded with spices, gold, and precious stones for Solomon; 4) Matthew 3:4 — John the Baptist wore garments made of camel's hair; 5) Matthew 19:24 — Jesus says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. — Camels were a symbol of wealth and an essential means of transport in the biblical caravans. The Queen of Sheba brought spices on camels valued at millions in today's terms. Camel hair was used in rough cloaks, common among prophets such as John the Baptist.