Dromedary - Reproduction

Reproduction

Females reach sexual maturity around 3 years of age and mate around age 4 or 5. Males begin to mate at around 3 years of age, too, but still are not sexually mature until six years of age. Mating occurs in winters but is peak in the rainy season. The onset of the breeding season is believed to be cued by nutritional status of the camel and the daylength.

If mating does not occur, the follicle, which grow during estrus, usually regress within a few days. In a study 35 complete estrus cycles were observed in five non-pregnant females over a period of 15 months. The cycles were about 28 days long, in which follicles matured in six days, maintained their size for 13 days and returned to their original size in eight days. In another study it was found that ovulation could be best induced when the follicle reaches a size of 0.9–1.9 cm (0.35–0.75 in). In another study, pregnancy in females could be recognized as early as 40 to 45 days of gestation by the swelling of the left uterine horn, where 99.52% of pregnancies were located.

During the reproductive season, males splash their urine on their tails and nearer regions. Males also extrude their soft palate. Copious saliva turns to foam as the male gurgles, covering the mouth. Males threaten each other for dominance over the female by trying to stand taller than the other, making low noises and a series of head movements including lowering, lifting, and bending their necks backwards. A male tries to defeat other males by biting at his legs and taking the opponent's head in between his jaws. Copulation begins with a necking exercise. The male smells the female's genitals, and often bites her in this region or around her hump. The male makes the female sit, and then grasps her with his forelegs. Normally there are three to four ejaculations. The camelmen often aid the male to enter his penis into the female's vulva, though the male is considered able to do it on his own. Copulation time ranges from 7–35 minutes, averaging 11–15 minutes.

A single calf is born after a gestational period of 15 months. Calves move freely by the end of their first day. Nursing and maternal care continues for one to two years. There was a study to find whether young could exist on milk substitutes. Two male young camels, one month old, were separated from their mothers and were fed on milk substitutes prepared commercially for lambs. For the initial 30 days, the changes in their weights were marked. Each gained 0.400 kg (0.88 lb) and 1 kg (2.2 lb) respectively per day. Finally, they were found to have grown properly and weighing normal weights of 135 kg (300 lb) and 145 kg (320 lb).