Proximate hair analysis in male and female dromedary and Bactrian camels

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the diameter of hair fibers collected from camels kept in Poland, and to determine differences in fiber structure between camel sexes and species. Hair samples were collected for analysis from 28 adult camels divided into groups based on sex (18 females and 10 males) and species (18 dromedary camels and 10 Bactrian camels). The samples were collected in May–July 2020, at the level of the last rib. The diameter of 42,000 fibers was measured by the modified projection microscope method. The fibers were classified into three categories: non-medullated fibers, fibers with interrupted medulla and fibers with continuous medulla. The study demonstrated that the hair fibers of camels kept in Poland had a mean diameter of 20.23 µm. Non-medullated fibers had the smallest diameter (17.32 µm). The smallest significant (P ≤ 0.05) difference in fiber diameter between males and females was noted in non-medullated fibers. Mean fiber diameter was higher in males than in females, especially in guard hair. No differences in fiber medulla diameter were found between camel sexes or species. Hair from Bactrian camels was thinner, and the proportion of non-medullated fibers was more than 50% higher than in dromedaries.