Abstract
Despite being an active member of the food producing family of farm animals, the camel has for a long time remained the most neglected animal in terms of its improvement and scientific research. The versatility of camel to survive and perform in the hard arid and semiarid regions and its unique physiological system should motivate the researchers to study it more closely to further exploit its potential. It is generally agreed that camel is predominantly a browser, although it also grazes on tall succulent young grass. On overall basis, dromedaries graze a broad spectrum of fodder plants, including thorny bushes, halophytes and aromatic species generally avoided by other domestic herbivores. During autumn and winter the camel in desert feeds on Haloxylon aphyllum, H. persieum, Salsola gemmaseens, S. orientabs, Astragalus, Aristida karelinii and A. pennate and in spring the desert is covered by ephemerals. In summer camels prefer salty sour plants and shrubs. Camels usually take a variety of vegetation that presumably provides optimal nutrition. On average as percent of 24 hr, 37 AI, 31.70, 26.52 and 4.37 time was spent for grazing, rumination, idling and resting/sleeping respectively. The average frequency of defaecation and urination by camel during day and night time was 5.7 ± 2.0 and 3.0 ± 1.2 and 5.7 ± 1.9 and 4.3 ± 1.5 respectively. Key words: .behaviour of camel, browser or grazer, defaecation, plant preference, rumination, urination
