Im very fascinated by camels mouths, and during todays clinic I got a fab opportunity to do some close-up filming! The balloon coming out of the camels mouth is called the ulla in Egyptian Arabic (with other variations in other dialects) and its the camels soft palate, which they can inflate. Its apparently for mating display among the male camels, but we usually see it when they are annoyed or uncomfortable. One article I read says that its a way to assert dominance towards other males, so it makes sense to also use it when they feel threatened. Several times I have posted videos of the camels gurgling away, and people often assume that it is a way to express pain. This is not exactly right, as they can gurgle for everything from being touched (for the more nervous camels) to going somewhere new and unknown (Humphrey when stepping out of Fluffyland for the first time!). Its a bit like the horses put their ears back to show disapproval. This camel was not happy about having his saddle sore looked at - he kept gurgling and blowing up his palate while they took the saddle off, then strangely enough he was pretty quiet while Sherif cleaned the wound - I guess it wasnt so bad after all! The skin spikes inside the mouth are called oral papillae, and they protect the cheeks and mouth from getting hurt from the twigs and thorns that camels might eat in the wild. I always want to touch them to see what they feel like, but obviously Im not putting my hand in among those fangs! (Marte)
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 19:54:18 +0000