Camels do not store water in their humps
Many people think humps are like water bottles, but they are actually filled with fat! This fat helps camels survive for days without food in the desert.
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Last updated: February 2, 2026 at 04:12 PMMany people think humps are like water bottles, but they are actually filled with fat! This fat helps camels survive for days without food in the desert.
If you draw a camel, you always include the humps. But those humps aren't filled with water like a backpack canteen. Instead, they are packed with something much more useful for a long journey: fat.
A camel's hump is actually a giant storage room for fat. When a camel finds food, it eats as much as it can and turns the extra energy into a hump. When there is no food in the desert, the camel’s body "eats" the fat in the hump for energy. If a camel goes a long time without eating, its hump will actually get floppy and lean to the side until it eats again!
You might wonder why camels don't just store fat all over their bodies like other animals. The desert is very hot! If a camel had fat all over its body, it would be like wearing a thick, warm coat in the sun. By putting all the fat in one place (the hump), the rest of its body can stay cool while it travels.
If the hump is for food, how do they stay hydrated? Camels are masters of saving water. They can drink up to 40 gallons of water in one go! That water goes straight into their bloodstream and cells. Their bodies are also very good at not wasting a single drop - they don't sweat much, and their noses even trap moisture when they breathe out.
Camels store fat, not water, in their humps. These humps act like emergency batteries to provide energy when food is scarce. To handle the thirst, they store water in their blood and have bodies designed to never waste a drop.