Dried camel bones can be carved like ivory for jewelry or utensils. Camel droppings are dried and used for fuel. Camels seem larger than they are because of their thick, woolly fur, which may be all shades of brown, from nearly white to almost black. An Arabian camel's fur is short and helps protect its body from the heat. A Bactrian camel's fur is longer.
All camels lose their fur in spring and grow a new coat.
The fur comes off so fast that it hangs in large pieces, making the animal appear ragged. A camel looks sleek and slender for several weeks after losing its coat, but a thick coat of new fur grows by autumn. Camels have calluslike bare spots on their chests and on their leg joints. These spots look as though the hair had been rubbed off, but they are natural and not signs of wear. Even young camels have them.