A camel’s body is an endless source of amazing adaptations.
Their nostrils prevent water loss, their fur prevents heat from reaching the skin and sweating, their small and hairy ears prevent dust from getting inside the animal.
But when it comes to the eyes and their anatomy, that’s a completely new story.
Camel’s eyes easily top those features we mentioned.
Here are the 10 interesting facts about the camel’s eyes.
Camel Eyes Facts
1. Camels Have Large Eyes And A Sharp Vision
Their eyes have lengthy eyelashes, hairy eyebrows, and a keen sense of vision. They allow the animal to see well, both during the day and at night.
2. Camels Have 3 Eyelids That Close From One Side To The Other
Two of them have double-layered lashes while the third eyelid is translucent. It is thin enough to allow the animal to see with its eyes closed, and at the same time works like a windshield wiper to remove sand that might have gotten into the animal’s eyes.
3. Camels Have Long And Thick Lashes
Their lashes can go up to 4 inches in length (10cm). They protect the animal from sunlight, dust, foreign bodies, insects, and prevent them from getting into the eye of the animal. The lashes on the upper eyelid are coarse and longer than those on the lower one.
4. Camel’s Eyeball Is Sphere-shaped
Depending on the age and breed of the camel, it can weigh around 1.2oz (36g).
It is 1.45 inches long (3.7cm), and 1.6 inches wide (4.1cm).
5. Camel’s Eyeballs Have A Similar Internal Structure To Other Domestic Animals
The eyeball contains three layers: fibrous layer, vascular layer, and nervous layer (retina).
6. Distance Between The Eyes In Males Is Slightly Shorter Than In Females
It is around 9.22 inches (23.43 cm) in males and 9.46 inches (24.04 cm) in females.
7. There Are 7 Muscles That Control The Movement Of The Eyes In Camels
Four of them are straight, two oblique, and one a retractor. These are the dorsal, ventral, medial, and lateral recti, the dorsal and ventral oblique, and the retractor bulbi.
8. Camels Have Laterally Placed Eyes And A Wide Field Of Vision
The visual angle is wide and ranges between 55o and 60o. In combination with their elongated and flexible necks, this allows the animal to see upcoming predators better.
9. Camels Can Have Brown, Black, Blue, And Pale Grey Color Of Their Eyes
There have been recorded cases of heterochromia of the iris, with one eye being blue and the other brown.
10. Camels Suffer Very Little Eye Diseases
They have a specific structure and composition of tears that help lubricate their eyes and protect them from infections. Scientists are investigating how to use those tears for treating different eye diseases in humans.
Conclusion
And there you have it!
10 interesting camel eyes facts.
We hope you found our article entertaining and learned new things about the camel eye anatomy, structure, and shape.
P.S. A lot of people believe that strong desert winds can injure the animal’s eyes and that camels bury their head in sand because of that.
This is just a myth, as their third eyelid already prevents sand from getting into their eyes.
Sources:
Anatomical and histological characteristics of the dromedary eye
An Anatomical Study on the Eye of the One-Humped Camel
Structure and microanalysis of tear film ferning of camel tears, human tears, and Refresh Plus