Where Do Camels Belong?
The sub-title of this book explains what it’s about: ‘The Story and Science of Invasive Species’. The main title illustrates the author’s provocative and sometimes mischievous approach to his subject. He gives four answers to the question, each of which he claims is a valid one ...
They belong in the first place you think of when you hear the word ‘camel’, ie, the Middle East; in North America, where they first evolved, lived for tens of millions of years, achieved their greatest diversity, and where they became extinct only recently; in South America, where they retain their greatest diversity (llamas, vicunas, alpacas and guanacos are all camels); and in Australia, where the world’s only true wild (as opposed to domesticated) dromedaries now occur.
