Our word “camel” comes from the Arabic root word for “beauty.” That may sound strange to us, who jokingly refer to this humped-backed enigma as “a horse put together by a committee.”
Fact is, no committee could ever put together a creature this amazing and well adapted for life in the deserts of the world.
It is proverbial that the dromedary can go for days without water. What is not as well known is that because his red blood cells are oblong, rather than round (as is every other mammal’s), he can lose up to 25 percent of his body fluids and still survive. Most other animals and man can lose only 15 percent.
Not only that, the camel is readily equipped for refilling his depleted water supply at the oasis. A fully grown camel can drink up to forty gallons of water at one time! Their nostrils are shaped so as to retain moisture which would normally evaporate, and most of the time they can get enough moisture from the green plants they eat without drinking at all.
While many believe that somehow the camel acquired all these adaptations over time and out of necessity, my faith is not that strong. I suggest that this amazing animal was created for his environment by a thoughtful, loving Creator.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. . . and God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds.”
Genesis 1:1, 25