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| range_map = Dromedary Range.png | range_map_caption = Domestic dromedary range | status = Domesticated }} The dromedary ( or ), also called the Arabian camel (''Camelus dromedarius''), is a large, even-toed ungulate with one hump on its back. First described by Aristotle, the dromedary was given its binomial name by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The oldest known ancestor of the dromedary is the ''Protylopus''. Males are tall and females are tall. Males range from , while females weigh . They vary in colour from a light beige to dark brown. The notable hump, measuring high, is composed of fat bound together by fibrous tissue. Their diet includes foliage and desert vegetation, like thorny plants which their extremely tough mouths allow them to eat. These camels are active in the day, and rest together in groups. Led by a dominant male, each herd consists of about 20 individuals. Some males form bachelor groups. Dromedaries show no signs of territoriality, as herds often merge during calamities. Predators in the wild include wolves and lions; and tigers in the past. Dromedaries use a wide set of vocalizations to communicate with each other. They have various adaptations to help them exist in their desert habitat. Dromedaries have bushy eyebrows and two rows of long eyelashes to protect their eyes, and can close their nostrils to face sandstorms. Their ears are also lined with protective hair.〔http://enchantedlearning.com〕 When water-deprived, they can fluctuate their body temperature by 6 °C, changing from a morning minimum of 34° to a maximum of 40° or so in the afternoon. This reduces heat flow from the environment to the body and thereby water loss through perspiration is minimised. They have specialized kidneys, which make them able to tolerate water loss of more than 30% of their body mass; a loss of 15% would prove fatal in most other animals.〔http://www.science.smith/edu〕 Mating usually occurs in winter, often overlapping the rainy season. One calf is born after the gestational period of 15 months, and is nurtured for about two years. The dromedary's origin is unclear, but it was probably domesticated in Somalia or Arabian Peninsula about 4000 years ago, with a general agreement among experts about the domestication of the one-humped camel. The domesticated form occurs widely in Horn of Africa, North Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. Today, almost 13 million dromedaries are domesticated. They are beneficial as beasts of burden, and their docility and toughness compared to cattle are additional advantages. Their hair is a highly regarded source material for woven goods and their dung is used as fertiliser and fuel. ==Etymology== The scientific name of the dromedary is ''Camelus dromedarius'', which could be based on the Greek (''dromas kamelos''), meaning 'running camel'. The Babylonians and Assyrians were the first to refer to the dromedary as ''gammalu'', similar to the word ''gâmâl'' used in the Hebrew Bible (e.g. ), and the Arabic word ''jamal'' or ''gamal''. The term "dromedary" comes from the Old French word ''dromedaire'', or the Latin word ''dromedarius'', which means 'swift'. It is based on the Greek word ''dromas'', δρομάς (ο, η) (GEN (γενική) ''dromados'', δρομάδος), meaning "runner" (δρομέας) .〔.〕 An early variant of this word was 'drumbledairy' (used in the 1560s). The term "camel" is derived via Latin and Greek from an old Semitic language (cf. Phoenician or Hebrew ''gāmāl'', Arabic ''ǧamal'' or ''gamal''), possibly from a verb root meaning 'to bear/carry' (related to Arabic ''ǧamala'').〔Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, entry ''camel (noun)''〕 A northern oïl dialect, such as Old Norman or Old Picard, could have also been an intermediate, where the word for "camel" was ''camel'' (compare Old French ''chamel'', modern French ''chameau''). The word "dromedary" has been used in English since the 14th century CE. Aristotle called the dromedary "the camel of the Arabians". 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dromedary」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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