I'm Ben, and today's question is do the humps on camels

actually hold water?

The short answer is no.

That's it.

That's the end of the video.

No, I'm kidding, though.

I'll tell you what a camel's hump does hold.

It holds a giant mound of fat.

In a healthy, well fed camel, this hump

can weigh is much as 80 pounds.

Human beings and most animals store

their fat mixed with their muscle tissue or in a layer

right beneath the skin.

Camels are the only animals with a hump like this.

This hump allows the camel to survive an extremely long

time-- up to two weeks-- without food.

Because camels typically live in the desert, where

food can be scarce for very long stretches, this is important.

But that has nothing to do with water.

So how does a camel survive without water in the desert?

We know that a camel needs about five gallons of water a day

in the summer.

However, a camel can lose up to 25 gallons of water

from its body tissue with no ill effects.

That means that a camel's body tissue is already

storing all the water a camel needs.

Camels are also good at conserving water.

One thing that a camel can do to conserve water

is they handle large body temperature swings.

So a camel might start its day with its body temperature

is 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which I really

should phrase in Celsius.

And it could allow its temperature

to rise as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Only at the upper end of this range

does it need to sweat to prevent overheating.

When we compare this temperature range to the range

that a human body can handle, where only a two degree rise

could indicate illness, you can clearly see the advantage.

And that is the truth behind, or I

guess under, the camel's hump, the camel's skin.

You get it.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this video.

Please click Like.

Please click Subscribe if you enjoyed this.

If you didn't enjoy it, tell your enemies

and make them watch it.

All right.

These videos are great, too.

Check those out.

[TRYING TO WHISTLE]

I can't whistle.