The true camels are large camelids adapted to live in very harsh conditions. They are able to tolerate changes in body temperature and water content that would kill most other animals. If the vegetation they eat has sufficient moisture content they do not need to drink at all, but when eating dried up scrub they will need to take in extra water. They can seal their nostrils against blowing sand, and sheild their eyes against sand with long eyelashes. They commonly travel by means of a pacing gait where both legs on the same side of the body move simultaneously.
One of the more distinctive features of camels is the humps of fatty tissue they grow on their backs. Contrary to popular belief, these humps do not store water.
There are two extant species of camels in the world:
Dromedaries Camelus dromedarius are a domestic camel with one hump on their backs. Their original range is not known, but may have encompased Arabia or the Sahara. No truely wild populations of dromedaries still exist, but a large feral population has established itself in Australia.
Bactrian camels Camelus bactrianus are two humped camels from the deserts of central Asia. They have thick wooly hair to protect them against the bitter cold winters of the Gobi which is shed in spring to prepare them for the blistering hot summers. Bactrian camels will eat snow, frost, and ice to get water. There are still relic populations of wild bactrian camels, but the domestic population is far more numerous.