Western Camel Colouring

The western camel, Camelops hesternus, was the last large camel native to North America. Fossils range from Alaska and western Canada through the United States to Mexico. Camel ancestors first evolved in North America tens of millions of years ago, and some later crossed into Asia, eventually giving rise to living Old World camels. Camelops appeared several million years ago and survived into the late Pleistocene. Adults stood about two metres at the shoulder and may have weighed around 800 kilograms. They had long necks and legs, two-toed feet and a mixed browsing diet. Scientists cannot tell from bones whether Camelops carried a hump, so careful reconstructions leave the back plain or treat a hump as uncertain. Its special character is the surprising North American origin of the camel family. Tooth chemistry and plant remains suggest Camelops ate shrubs, leaves and other vegetation in grasslands, open woods and wetlands. It may have travelled in small herds, but its exact social life and lifespan are not known. The species disappeared around 11,000 years ago, and no final animal was named. Warming climates transformed Ice Age wetlands and plant communities. People also overlapped with Camelops and could hunt it. These factors may have combined with the broader collapse of large-mammal ecosystems. Colour this camel warm beige, cinnamon, reddish brown, grey or pale cream. Make the muzzle and belly slightly lighter, with dark brown eyes, nostrils and two-toed feet. Long downward strokes will emphasise the tall legs, while curved strokes can follow the neck. The meadow may be yellow-green or ochre, the scattered tree olive, and distant hills pale blue or purple. If you prefer an imaginative hump, keep it very small and remember that fossils do not prove one; the provided outline correctly avoids a definite hump. Add white highlights along the neck and back. The simple landscape keeps the long legs, two toes and elegant neck clear, helping children discover that camels were once at home in North America long before people brought domestic camels elsewhere.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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