Question

All the following facts about camels make them adapt to long periods of drought in hot deserts, except

• A. The camel's thick fur insulates its body against high temperatures thereby reducing water loss
• B. Camels can survive a loss of upto 40 per cent of their body water; for most mammals this limit is 20 per cent
• C. Camels do not sweat until the external temperature rises to about ${41}^o$ C, which is much higher than for most mammals
• D. Camels can drink as much as 1/3 of their body weight in ten minutes, which other mammals cannot

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

Camels can drink as much as 1/3 of their body weight in ten minutes, which other mammals cannot

• Unlike most mammals, a healthy camel's body temperature fluctuates (changes) throughout the day from 34°C to 41.7°C. This allows the camel to conserve water by not sweating as the environmental temperature rises.
  
• Camels can also lose a higher percentage of their body fluids without disrupting their health. For instance, dehydrated humans will usually die if they lose more than 15 percent of their weight in body fluids. Camels, however, may drop almost 40 percent of their body fluid weight before conditions become fatal.
  
• Camels even sweat efficiently. Not only do they perspire at a lower rate than we do, their sweat evaporates beneath their fur for better cooling. When standing still or resting, camels often face the sun to reduce the amount of body surface area directly exposed to the sunlight. They also seek out shade and stand in each others' shadows when traveling in caravans.
  
• Camel's drinking rate has nothing to do with camel's survival in deserts.

So, the correct answer is 'Camels can drink as much as 1/3 of their body weight in ten minutes, which other mammals cannot'.