Among the artiodactyls, the Bactrian camel is one of the largest species, and can reach a length of 3-4 metres, standing 3 metres high from the tip of the hump, with an average weight of 4-500 kg.

It lives in groups of about 20 individuals, made up of females and young males that have not yet reached sexual maturity, under the domination of one mature male.

The Bactrian camel is distinguished from the Arab species not only by its double hump, but also by its slightly smaller and more robust physique, with shorter legs and a thicker fleece. Effectively its more sturdy anatomical structure makes it better adapted to living in rocky and mountainous regions than its Arab relatives.

It is not a particularly intelligent animal, and despite having a capricious character it is normally of a peaceful and patient disposition, although it can become aggressive during the mating season.
Sexual maturity is achieved by the males during the 5^th or 6^th year of life, and by females during the 3^rd or 4^th year.
Every two years, after a gestation of 12-15 months, the females give birth to a single calf, and very rarely two.

The mating season runs from January to February and in most cases the young are born in the spring. They are precocious animals; the calf, which already weighs between 34 and 37 kg at birth, is able to stand up and run as soon as it is born.

The young camel is therefore capable of tackling the harsh life of the steppes from the very first hours of life, although it remains with the mother for 3 to 5 years until it reaches sexual maturity. After this the males move off to form their own groups, while the females remain with the dominant male.

The camel is a longevous animal, with an average lifespan of 30 years, sometimes reaching 45. 

Camels are universally renowned for their capacity to resist extreme conditions. The Bactrian camel in particular can manage to survive at very low temperatures which, in winter, in certain areas of the Gobi desert and Manchuria, can even reach -50 °C. Moreover, it is also capable of going for 4-5 days without food or drink by drawing on the reserves of fat stored in its two humps. As well as this, the animal can actually store up to 7 litres of water in four special sacks around its stomach. When necessary it can drink up to 30% of its own body weight, approximately 120 litres of water, in one go and in no more than 10 minutes.

Each hump contains approximately 32 kg of fat, and when this is metabolised the hump is deflated and hangs down to one side, showing that the animal no longer has energy reserves to resort to. The measurement of the hump effectively serves as a gauge of the animal’s state of wellbeing. When the fat contained in the hump is metabolised by the camel it is transformed not only into an energy reserve, but also into water. Effectively one kilo of fat metabolised with the oxygen from the air supplies the animal with 1,111 grams of water.

The camel is classified as herbivorous and feeds predominantly and by preference on salty or bitter plants, although it will accept any type of vegetation including shrubs that are unappetising to other animals. When food is scarce it contents itself with what it can find, and will even eat bones and various types of meat, revealing nutritional habits very similar to those of goats.