Dromedary vs Bactrian Camel: One Hump or Two?

Key differences at a glance

Both animals are true camels in the genus Camelus, and both are mainly domestic. The dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) is by far the more numerous, with tens of millions of animals. The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) numbers about 2 million. A third species, the wild Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus), survives in tiny numbers in the Gobi Desert.

A handy memory trick uses the capital letters: a “D” lying on its back has one bump, like the dromedary; a “B” lying on its back has two bumps, like the Bactrian.

One hump or two?

The humps are the most obvious difference. The dromedary has a single hump in the middle of its back. The Bactrian camel has two, one above the shoulders and one above the hips. In both species the humps are made of fat, not water, and act as an energy reserve; the details are in What is in a camel’s hump?.

When a camel has been short of food, its humps shrink and can flop to one side. A Bactrian camel in poor condition may have two limp humps that hang over, while a well-fed one has two firm, upright humps.

Size: which camel is bigger?

The answer depends on how you measure. The dromedary is the taller animal, with long, slender legs: males stand about 1.8–2.4 m (5.9–7.9 ft) at the shoulder. The Bactrian camel is shorter at the shoulder, about 1.6–1.8 m (5.2–5.9 ft), but it is more heavily built.

By weight, the Bactrian camel is the largest living camel. Adults range from about 300 to 1,000 kg (660–2,200 lb), with males averaging around 600 kg (1,300 lb). Dromedaries weigh about 300–690 kg (660–1,520 lb). A typical Bactrian looks stockier, with a broader chest and shorter legs.

Coat and climate: hot deserts vs cold deserts

The dromedary has a short, thin coat suited to heat, and it copes poorly with cold, wet weather. It lives where summers are scorching and winters are mild.

The Bactrian camel lives in places such as the Gobi Desert, where winters can drop below −30 °C (−22 °F) and summers can be very hot. It grows a thick, woolly winter coat, with a mane and beard of long hair on the neck and throat. In spring the coat falls off in large shaggy patches, making the camel look untidy for a few weeks. It can eat snow for water in winter, as described in How do Bactrian camels survive the cold?.

The difference in coat reflects a difference in tolerance. Attempts to keep dromedaries in cold, damp regions have mostly failed, which is why the two-humped camel, not the dromedary, became the working animal of Mongolia and the high steppes. Each species is at its best in the climate it is adapted to.

Both species share the classic camel equipment: closable nostrils, long double eyelashes, broad padded feet and the ability to go a long time without drinking.

Range and domestication

Dromedaries are kept across North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Arabia, the Middle East and northwest India, and a large feral population lives in central Australia. The species was probably domesticated in the Arabian Peninsula several thousand years ago, and its wild ancestor died out about 2,000 years ago.

Bactrian camels are kept mainly in Mongolia, northern China, Kazakhstan and nearby parts of Central Asia. They are named after Bactria, an ancient region in what is now northern Afghanistan and surrounding countries. For centuries they carried goods along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, because they could handle cold mountain passes as well as deserts.

In a few places, such as Afghanistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and parts of Turkey, the two species are kept side by side.

Wild camels: what is left?

There are no truly wild dromedaries left. The free-living camels of the Australian outback are feral, descended from working camels released in the early 20th century.

The two-humped camels have a wild relative, but it is a separate species. Genetic studies show that the wild Bactrian camel is not the ancestor of the domestic Bactrian; the two lineages split long before domestication. Only about 1,000 wild Bactrian camels remain, in northwest China and southwest Mongolia. The species was listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List for many years and was moved to Endangered in a 2025 assessment. Its story is told in Are wild Bactrian camels still alive?.

Can dromedaries and Bactrian camels interbreed?

Yes. The two species have been crossed deliberately for more than 2,000 years, and their first-generation hybrids are fertile. These hybrids are larger and stronger than either parent and can carry around 400–500 kg (880–1,100 lb). They usually have one long hump with a dip near the front, or a large hump and a small one, and they inherit some of the Bactrian’s long neck and head hair.

Breeders in Central Asia use names that depend on the parents. In Kazakhstan, a cross between a male dromedary and a female Bactrian is called a nar; in Turkmenistan, a male Bactrian is crossed with a female dromedary, producing hybrids known as iner. Breeding two hybrids together tends to produce weaker, poorly built offspring, so hybrids are usually bred back to one of the pure species. In Turkey, hybrid bulls are used in traditional camel wrestling.

Which camel is faster and which is easier to ride?

Both species can reach about 65 km/h (40 mph) in short sprints, but they rarely run that fast. The dromedary, with its longer legs and lighter build, is the classic riding and racing camel, and specially bred racing dromedaries compete in the Gulf states.

The Bactrian camel is better known as a pack animal, valued for strength and endurance in harsh weather. Its two humps also give a rider a natural place to sit, in the dip between them.