Camelus

Males have a dulla in neck

inflatable sac extruding from mouth

resembling a swollen tongue when in rut

to attract females red blood

cells are oval not round

feces dry enough to fuel fires

gait wide even-toed feet stop sinking in sand

descended from the same rabbit-

sized ancestor as pigs Native Americans wiped out

wild ones before adopting buffalo

Etruscan saddles first appeared on humps in 1200 BC

Roman legions used combat dromedarii to scare off horses

Heliogabalus and Cleopatra ate the heel

tough meat best slow-cooked and roasted whole

halal for muslim not-kosher for jews

milk is medicine and aphrodisiac

urine a thick syrup Mohammed

ordered people to drink it for health

the Abu Dhabi Officer’s Club serves burgers

camel lasagna can be eaten in Alice Springs curry in Sydney

the feral population of Central Australia

presently one million growing at 8% a year

a cama is a hybrid of the camel and llama

inheriting the poor temperament of both.