Adaptation strategies of camels on a thornbush savannah pasture: Comparison with other domestic animals

In many semi-arid areas of the world unequal distribution of rain leads to severe seasonal fluctuations in the forage available to the animals. During severe dry seasons the amount of forage is reduced. At the same time, the plant cell wall constituents, especially of grasses, increase while the proportion of easily digestible cellular contents is reduced'. Some herbivores, especially certain indigenous animals, are able to survive under harsh conditions and these animals are often indispensable to men living under such conditions because, in addition to producing high quality protein for human food, they are also used as draught and pack animals, and they supply leather and wool.