Chapter 15
How much more does mozzarella cheese made from buffalo cost when compared to cow's milk?
$2-4 more per kilogram
Cattle are superior to buffalo in 3 major ways:
(1) heat tolerance, particularly to dry heat (2) as work animals on dry ground bc they are much faster, although not capable of pulling loads quite as heavy (3) as producers of meat and milk
The buffalo is superior to cattle for work animals in the hot, humid regions where rice is grown in 2 ways:
(1) utilizing the coarse, low quality roughages, such as rice straw and (2)working in low, wet areas, such as the rice paddies, where their feet must be in mud and water for long periods of time (cattle are more susceptible to foot rot).
How many camels are there in the world?
25 million
In Asia produce ______ of the milk consumed by people
33% (over 50% in India)
When were the Camelidae family domesticated?
4,000-6,000 years ago
How much and how far can a camel carry and go?
500-600 lbs and 25 miles a day
How many members are there in the Camelidae family?
6
What is the fat content of buffalo milk?
7-8%
How far can the mehari breed of camel go?
75-120 miles a day at a steady trot of 9 to 10 miles and hour
Where is Italy ranked in buffalo milk production?
9th
Domesticated camelids are primarily found in...
Africa, Asia, and South America. There are also feral camels in Australia bc they were used in the Outback as pack animals during the 19th century. Some of their descendants are feral and are considered to be pests
Water buffalo are a valuable source of milk in..
Asia, and Italy
Most of the world buffalo population is found in...
Asia, with just three countries (India, Pakistan, and China) having over 85% of the population
The camel pack trains that have moved for centuries across the trade routes of the Orient were made up of...
Bactrian camels
The best Mozzarella cheese to be had in Italy is made from...
Buffalo milk
Why has the production of buffalo meat in India been increasing?
Don't really know, it may simply be that the increasing population is forcing people to alter their philosophical stand on this issue
How does the oval shape of camelid RBCs help them?
Helps them survive in water-restricted areas of the world
Why has India done a poor job harvesting buffalo meat?
Historically the low utilization of meat was indirectly the result of the religious prohibitions against the slaughter and consumption of cattle. Although there aren't prohibitions against buffalo, the meat is very similar so it has scruples Also these animals are more important for draft work
Buffalo herds have been ______ in Italy.
Increasing. Once found primarily in southern Italy, mostly in the countryside surrounding Naples, there are now herds in northern Italy
What is the leading country in buffalo numbers?
India
What is a reason for the heat intolerance of water buffalo?
It has very few sweat glands, only 1/5 the number found in cattle.
What is the genus and species of a llama?
Lama glama
what is the genus and species of the alpaca?
Lama pacos
What is the genus and species of the guanico?
Lama quanacoe
What similar characteristics do the Camelidae have?
Long necks, small heads and no horns or antlers. Each has a split upper lip
What do camel eyelashes look like, and what do they do?
Long, interlocking in a double fringe. Protects from sandstorms and the sun. They are slanting slits, which the camel can open wide to breathe or close to keep out blowing sand.
What is the second most important product of the buffalo?
Milk, which has been increasing rapidly in production
Does a camel's hump have bone?
No, it is fat and muscle (not made of water)
Where is the Bactrian found?
Northern China and Tibet
Do camelids work without protest?
Seldom. The noise from a camel yard when a caravan is being loaded would "wake the dead"
How many days can the camel go without water?
Several days, ~10
What is the camel's nickname?
Ship of the desert
What are the two types of domestic water buffalo? And how did they get these names?
Swamp and river. Derive their name from whether they prefer clean, running water (river type) or will wallow in mud holes (swamp type)
What are the two species of camel?
The Arabian is the one-humped camel and the Bactrian is the two-humped camel
What is the Bactrian often referred to as?
The Asian camel
Why can the camel live without water far longer than other mammals?
The camel conserves water by holding it in tissues and cells rather than using it to cool itself through perspiration as other animals do
How can camels rehydrate very quickly?
Their unique blood cells allow them to do so without suffering from the ruptured blood cells and death common in less adapted species who are water-deprived and then allowed access to ample drinking water
How do water buffalo survive if they lack sweat glands and live in hot areas?
They can only survive if they have water in which it can wallow at frequent intervals to give up heat by conduction and to coat the skin with moisture to be evaporated
What is the genus and species of the vicuna?
Vicugna vicugna
When is a camel's hump limp?
When it goes without food and water, the fat and lean tissue in the hump can nourish it for several days-providing energy and metabolic water.
Do nomads make lousy villagers?
Yes
In the areas that water buffalo are located are they important?
Yes they are extremely important in these areas, but are seldom found in any significant numbers as ag animals in other parts of the world
Can buffalo be used to pull wagons or for riding?
Yes, but their primary use is in field work and much of this in rice paddies
Has the production of buffalo meat been changing in India?
Yes, it has steadily risen in the last two decades and India is now the major producer with 42% of the meat
If a camel is used for plowing is it usually paired with another animal? why?
Yes, it is usually paired with an ox or sometimes an ass rather than another camel because the camel can't be very successfully driven to a plow but the ox or donkey can
Do water buffalo produce meat? If so, where are they used?
Yes, most of the buffalo in Brazil are specialized meat-producing breeds. This is a relatively new phenomenon
Are camelids adapted to the work they are asked to do?
Yes, no other domestic animal can live and work in such a hot and dry climate with so little food and water
Besides africa, where are camels?
a few thousand are in Asia
When a camel is used for meat it is usually in...
a salvage situation such as where animals are not useful for work bc they are old or crippled or when the herd needs to be reduced in size
What is the Bactrian primarily used for?
as a pack animal
Ill-tempered and irritable camelids will...
bellow, bite, kick, and spit to demonstrate their annoyance
What kind of water can the Bactrian drink?
brackish (salty) water and can swim for short distances
Although it was very seldom raised historically primarily for food in the least developed agricultures...
camel meat and milk are put to good use. Both are increasing in production on a world-wide basis
The camel family is commonly referred to as...
camelids
China's camel numbers have....(why?)
declined significantly over the last two decades. This is no doubt due to the rapid economic development of that country. mechanization
Camel dung is...
dried and used as fuel for cooking fires
Because the camel can go without water for several days, it is a very valuable animal for..
dry climates
Buffalo have..
enormous strength, a docile temperament and the capacity for long sustained heavy work
The Arabian is..
fast and considered to be the more desirable for riding. It is also widely used as a pack animal by the nomadic people of desert and semi-desert regions
Camel hides are used for
harnesses, sandals, water bags, rugs and many other necessary items
The Arabian is well adapted to...
hot, dry climates
The water buffalo is found primarily in...
hot, wet areas with subsistence or primitive levels of ag, especially associated with rice production
As environmental temp increases, camel body temp...
increases. During the night, the camel gives off the heat that it "stored" during the day so that is morning temperature is low. Their temp can vary more than 11 F
How fast can a camel rehydrate?
just a few hours
members of the llama and vicuna genus are called...
lamoids
Since much of the region where the Bactrian is used is cold, it has a...
longer hair coat (1 foot in winter) than the Arabian and has adapted well to cold conditions. It also has a much shorter, thicker and heavier body than the dromedary's
The Somali tribe of Africa does raise camels primarily for...
meat, but they are the exception to camels not being raised for meat
Since the domestication of Camelidae they have provided...
meat, milk, wool, manure for fuel, offerings to the gods, and hides to the desert- and mountain-dwelling peoples of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres
The water buffalo is not generally raised as a source of
meat. Their meat is utilized as a salvage situation
Lactating female camels may be...
milked and many constitute the major source of milk for many nomadic people
Other domestic buffalo have been selected for....
more milk and others more for work. In recent years, they have been selected more for meat in certain parts of the world. This is especially true in South America
In Italy, water buffalo are used to produce
mozzarella cheese
Camelids can travel great distances in desert conditions for days with...
no water while carrying a heavy load
What shape are the red blood cells of camelids?
oval, whereas in all other mammals they are circular
What percentage of the worlds camels are found in africa?
over 84%
India, with well over half of the world's buffalo, has traditionally done a ____ job of harvesting the buffalo for meat.
poor
For centuries, the breeding of camels has been the...
primary source of income for many nomadic tribes living in the very dry areas of the world
Camels are used mainly for...
riding or as pack animals, although occasionally they are yoked to a plow
The Bactrian is better able to stand on...
rocks, snow and ice bc it has more calloused feet than the dromedary
Is the camel a ruminant or monogastric?
ruminant, but its stomach has only 3 chambers, rather than the 4 other ruminants have. It can make good use of plant material bc of its ruminant status and they graze many different species of plants
The Camelidae are very different but they also...
share certain characteristics
Is the Bactrian slower or faster than the Arabian?
slower. It is a larger animal
For millennia the camel has helped the desert populations of Asia and Africa
survive and even prosper at times
Camel hair is turned into...
tents, blankets, rugs, clothing, and rope
Which camel does the camel's-hair cloth used to make fine overcoats and other clothing come from?
the Bactrian. The most valued hair grows next to the skin
Where are Arabian camels found?
the Near East and Africa
What is the Arabian referred to as?
the dromedary
The guanaco, llama, alpaca, and vicuna are members of the camel family found only in
the high elevations of the Andes Mountains in South America
What are the members of the Camelidae family?
the one-humped dromedary, the two- humped Bactrian camel, the guanaco, the llama, the alpaca, and the vicuna
Although the camel is still an important beast of burden...
the steady increase in mechanization is reducing the use of camels
The decreased demand for camel products threatens...
the traditional way of life of the nomads. In the not too distant future, they may be forced to give up their nomadic existence and settle in villages
What are the characteristic of the camelid foot?
they have two toes, with a very flat hoof at the end of each. A thick calloused pad forms the sole of the food
Why do camels have a groove from each nostril that ends in the split upper lip?
this allows any moisture from the nostrils to flow into the mouth helping in water conservation
Although the water buffalo is primarily found in hot, humid areas, it is not...
very heat tolerant
Some domestic buffalo have been subjected to...
very little selection, therefore they have differences that are probably bc they are descended from different wild subspecies many of which are extinct
The mehari breed of camel is bred for
warfare and racing
When is a camel's hump erect?
when it is well fed and given enough water
The domestic buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is descended from the...
wild water buffalo (Bubalis arnee)
Water buffalo are kept primarily for...
work, and more specifically for pulling plows
