Camel Genus of mammals A camel is an even-toed ungulate in the genus Camelus that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provide food and textiles. Camels are working animals especially suited to their desert habitat and are a vital means of transport for passengers and cargo. There are three surviving species of camel. The one-humped dromedary makes up 94% of the world's camel population, and the two-humped Bactrian camel makes up 6%. The wild Bactrian camel is a separate species and is now critically endangered. The word camel is also used informally in a wider sense, where the more correct term is camelid, to include all seven species of the family Camelidae: the true camels, along with the New World camelids: the llama, the alpaca, the guanaco, and the vicuña, which belong to the separate tribe Lamini.