Читать книгу Medicine and Surgery of Camelids - Группа авторов - Страница 13

Kanyon McLean1 and Andrew J. Niehaus2

1 Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum, Montgomery, AL, USA

2 Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Farm Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

The domesticated camelids of the world have had a significant impact on civilizations throughout recorded history. Populations of camels, referred to as Old World Camelids (OWCs), are indigenous to Africa and Asia, while South American camelids (SACs), also called New World Camelids (NWCs), have evolved in the countries along the western mountains of South America. OWCs include the one‐humped (dromedary) camel, the two‐humped (Bactrian) camel and, more recently, the wild Bactrian camel of Mongolia. NWCs include alpacas, llamas, guanacos, and vicuñas. Alpacas and llamas exist only as domestic species, while guanacos and vicuñas are undomesticated. The vast majority of camels alive today are domesticated dromedary camels in Africa and the Middle East and domestic Bactrian camels in Asia. Wild Bactrian camels are considered critically endangered with an estimated population of about 1000 individuals inhabiting a few select geographic areas in Asia [1, 2].