Rumen function in the camel

Abstract

IN May 1962, samples of strained rumen contents obtained from 25 camels in the Alice Springs area of Central Australia were made available for analysis. The animals had all been born in the area (the last importation of camels into Australia was made in 1886)1. The area had been suffering from drought conditions for the previous seven years, but the camels were in reasonable physical condition and apparently reproducing satisfactorily. British breeds of cattle are normally grazed in the area; but their numbers had been greatly reduced during the drought and many of the survivors were in poor condition. © 1963 Nature Publishing Group.