Observations on the Seasonal Browsing and Grazing Behaviour of Camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Southern Darfur-sudan

This paper had been presented for promotion at the university of Khartoum to get the full text please contact the other at abdounn@yahoo.comThe observations about camels behaviour during browsing and grazing were recorded during dry and green season in southern Darfur (Latitude 8o 30’ and 13o 30’ North), by using apparently healthy free ranging camels during the months of March—May 2003 (dry season ) and August — September 2003 (green season). Total number of 210 indigenous Arabian camels of different age (1–18 year) was used in this study. Camels were observed to be selective browser rather than grazer during dry and green seasons; also they were able to consume whatever plants available to fulfil their needs during the dry season. Camels did not stay long on a single species of plants, but were observed to take several mouthfuls and to move to another or to the same species browsing young green stems or branches with or without thorns and together with leaves, young growing shoots, flowers and fruits during green season, however, it has been observed that camels concentrate on certain evergreen trees and bushes together with the dry grasses if found during the dry season in the dry wadi beds. Camels are selective feeders not only with regard to plants but also in respect of part of the plants they eat , on the natural range they browse and graze at any time of the day but they tend to avoid feeding during the hottest period of the day and adopt positions. Camels prefer to feed on bushes and trees due to their anatomical adaptations. These findings indicate that camels are able to adapt themselves to the seasonal pasture fluctuation