The Hilarious Answer To "What Do You Call A Camel With Three Humps?" (Plus The Shocking Biological Truth)
The question, "What do you call a camel with three humps?" is a classic riddle that has puzzled people for decades, gaining mainstream popularity thanks to its appearance in major animated films. As of late 2025, the simple, surprising answer is often used as a clever punchline, but the deeper biological reality behind the question is far more fascinating than any joke. This article will first give you the famous answer to satisfy your curiosity and then take a deep dive into the true anatomy of the world's most iconic desert dwellers.
The immediate answer you're looking for, the one that makes the riddle famous, is a clever play on a temporary state. However, understanding the two primary species of the genus Camelus—the one-humped Arabian camel and the two-humped Asian camel—is essential to appreciating why a three-humped specimen is a biological impossibility, making the riddle a perfect blend of humor and zoological fact.
The Famous Answer and the Biological Impossibility
The most common and accepted answer to the riddle, "What do you call a camel with three humps?" is:
- Pregnant.
This punchline, which was popularized in the trailer for the Disney film Zootopia, works because the "third hump" is implied to be the developing fetus in the mother's womb, which temporarily changes the animal's silhouette. While funny, the joke fundamentally rests on a biological truth: a camel with three humps simply does not exist in nature, making the humorous answer the only one possible.
The Two True Species of Camels
When discussing the anatomy of a camel, it is crucial to understand that only two main species of true camels (*Camelus*) exist today, and they are defined by their hump count.
- The Dromedary Camel (*Camelus dromedarius*): This is the one-humped camel, also known as the Arabian camel. It makes up approximately 94% of the world's total camel population and is predominantly found in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.
- The Bactrian Camel (*Camelus bactrianus*): This is the two-humped camel. It is native to the steppes of Central Asia and is known for its incredible ability to withstand frigid winters and blistering summers.
A third, distinct species, the Wild Bactrian Camel (*Camelus ferus*), also has two humps but is genetically separate and critically endangered, living in isolated populations in China and Mongolia.
Why Camels Are Biologically Limited to Two Humps
The structure of a camel's back and its evolutionary purpose make the development of a third hump virtually impossible. The hump is not a skeletal structure; it is a mass of fat and fibrous tissue that sits on the camel's back.
The True Function of the Hump
Contrary to popular belief, a camel's hump does not store water. It stores fat. This stored fat is a vital adaptation for survival in harsh, arid environments.
- Energy Reserve: The fat in the hump acts as a concentrated food and water source. When the fat is metabolized (broken down for energy), it releases both energy and metabolic water, which helps sustain the animal during long periods without food or drink.
- Thermoregulation: By concentrating the fat in one or two humps on the back, the rest of the camel's body is insulated less. This allows the animal to dissipate heat more efficiently through its body surface, which is critical for survival in the scorching desert heat.
- Structural Support: The humps are supported by the camel’s robust spine and thoracic vertebrae. In a two-humped Bactrian camel, the two humps are separated by a saddle-like dip that naturally fits a rider. A third hump would require a radical, non-existent, and non-advantageous change to the skeletal anatomy.
The maximum number of humps—two—is an optimal evolutionary design to balance fat storage with efficient body cooling, a principle known as homeostasis in extreme environments. Any further humps would be a genetic mutation that offers no survival benefit and would be highly unlikely to persist in the gene pool.
Fascinating Facts About Camel Anatomy and Survival
Beyond the hump count, camels possess an incredible array of adaptations that allow them to thrive where other mammals would perish. The genus *Camelus* is a masterclass in desert survival, with adaptations that go far beyond their fat reserves.
The Camel's Unique Survival Toolkit
The dromedary and Bactrian camels have evolved a series of traits that make them the ultimate "Ships of the Desert." These features are crucial to their ability to endure the extreme conditions of the Sahara, the Gobi Desert, and other arid regions.
1. Water Conservation and Intake:
- Massive Water Intake: A dehydrated camel can drink up to 30 gallons (113 liters) of water in just 13 minutes.
- Oval Red Blood Cells: Unlike the round red blood cells of most mammals, a camel's are oval. This allows them to flow more easily in dehydrated blood and prevents them from bursting when the camel drinks a massive amount of water quickly.
- Body Temperature Fluctuation: Camels can allow their body temperature to fluctuate by up to 11 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius). This reduces the need to sweat to cool down, thus conserving precious body water.
2. Protection from the Elements:
- Double Row of Eyelashes: Camels have two rows of long, thick eyelashes to protect their eyes from sand and sun glare.
- Closing Nostrils: They can voluntarily close their nostrils to keep sand out during a sandstorm.
- Thick, Leathery Patches: They have thick, leathery patches on their knees and chest, known as callosities, which allow them to kneel comfortably on the hot sand.
3. Diet and Digestion:
- Tough Mouth: Their mouths are lined with thick, leathery papillae that allow them to eat thorny desert vegetation, which other animals avoid.
- Three-Chambered Stomach: Like other ruminants, they chew their cud, but their three-chambered stomach (instead of four) is highly efficient at extracting maximum nutrients from poor-quality desert forage.
The next time you hear the riddle about the three-humped camel, you’ll not only have the quick, funny answer ("Pregnant") but also the deep, factual knowledge of why two humps are the biological limit. The two existing species, the Dromedary and the Bactrian, are perfectly engineered for their respective environments, making them one of the most remarkable creatures on Earth.
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