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Sofyan Alyan, BIOLOGY, UAEU, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates and Abdullah Almarzooqi, Biology, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Presenting Author(s)
Sofyan Alyan
BIOLOGY, UAEU Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Background/Question/Methods Homing behavior was studied in the Arabian camels, Camelus dromedary, in the Empty Quarter desert of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. We set out to test the hypothesis that camels can exhibit homing behavior after being displaced by several kilometers. Displacement took place during daytime and nighttime. Camels were all females. Some were lactating, others were pregnant, while others were neither. Camels ages ranged from 3 to 19 years old. Camels were led by the shepherd to a predetermined location. During some runs, the camels walked on foot, while in other runs they were carried in a truck. The paths of the outward and afterward journeys were tracked by a gps tracking devise. Results/Conclusions All camels headed towards their farm location upon release. Their paths were straight towards “home”, crossing some harsh terrain and dunes on their way back. The camels did not retrace their outward journey and did not seem to follow certain geographical features like paved or sand roads. The data are the first confirmation of homing behavior in camels, and will be discussed in relation to data on other species.
