Camels don’t store water, but fat, which is used as an energy reserve. Water is stored throughout their bodies, particularly in the bloodstream, which makes them very good at avoiding dehydration. Camels can lose 40 per cent of their body-weight before they are affected by it. When they do drink, they really go for it – up to 225 litres at a time. Here are a few quite interesting facts about camels, which have nothing to do with their humps. Before elephants acquired their reputation for long memories, the ancient Greeks believed it was camels that didn’t forget.

Camel-racing in the United Arab Emirates has started to use robot riders in place of the traditional child jockeys. The remotely operated riders were developed following a ban on the use of jockeys under sixteen years of age. The only qualifications needed to become a jockey are not to weigh much and be able to scream in terror.