Hump Fat Research Articles

Reformulation of Tunisian Sun-Dried Merguez with Camel Meat: Characterization of Physicochemical and Compositional Changes in Organic Acids, Fatty Acids, Volatile Compounds, and Minerals.

Traditional sun-dried merguez is an authentic Tunisian dried sausage made with a large number of spices and herbs, which was reformulated in this study with camel meat and hump fat and dried as in the artisanal process. This research studied the physicochemical, microbiological, and chemical compositional changes that occurred in fresh camel merguez (FCM) after 12 days of drying to achieve traditional dried camel merguez (DCM). The results showed significant weight loss (54.1%), as well as significant decreases in pH (5.20-4.97), moisture (60.5-12.3%), and water activity (0.986-0.673). These results and the acceptable microbiological quality of DCM can explain the safety of traditionally practiced long-term storage at room temperature. All chemical compositions increased upon drying. The composition of DCM included several organic acids, mainly lactate (2820 mg.kg-1); diverse unsaturated fatty acids, in particular oleic acid (33.2%); and various minerals, specifically iron (8 mg per 100 g), in addition to volatile compounds impacted by herbs and spices rich in terpenes (56.3%). These results can be useful for investing in indigenous products and promoting the exploitation of camel meat.

Development of technology of boiled sausage from non-traditional raw materials

This paper considers the possibility of improving the functional and technological properties of boiled camel sausage with the addition of hump fat and chicken fillet. The effect of pumpkin peel powder on lipid oxidation, functional and technological properties of sausages from combined meat was investigated. Camel meat as a meat product has many advantages, for example, low fat content, high nutritional value, and its taste is barely distinguishable from beef. At the same time, it has the following disadvantages: sweetish taste, coarse-fiber structure; camel sausage has a lower shelf life compared to beef sausage; it is harder due to the content of hydroxyproline. To improve the functional and technological properties, dried rowan powder and pumpkin peel powder of the "Winter Sweet" variety, a zoned variety, were added in different quantities for comparison. The control sample was made in accordance with GOST for boiled sausage, with the replacement of fat with hump fat, and the replacement of beef with camel meat. For experimental samples, a plan for a full-factor experiment was built, taking into account the material balance. Additives varied in 3 levels, from 3 to 6 %. 7 samples with control were in total with the control sample being the sausage prepared according to the same recipe but without additives. There were three parallel experiments in each sample. It was revealed that hydrated rowan powder has a negative effect on taste but, at lower doses, it gives a spicy taste to the sausage while the addition of hydrated powder from pumpkin peels improves taste and organoleptic characteristics. Thus, one can conclude that waste in the form of pumpkin peels is also a valuable and useful product for improving the functional, technological, and organoleptic characteristics of sausage. The result of this study shows that when hydrated rowan powder and pumpkin peel powder are added, the problem of taste, aftertaste, smell, and shelf life is solved in the selected ratio, while the sausage also becomes more tender overall

تأثير استخدام مستويات مختلفة من دهن الإبل (HUMP FAT) على التركيب الفيزيوكيميائي للنقانق من لحوم البقر والجمل والدجاج

This study was conducted to determine the effect of various levels of hump fat (HF) used in manufacturing of camel, beef and chicken sausage to understand the effect of (HF) on physicochemical composition sausage, Different levels of hump fat (5, 7, and 10 %) were used, physicochemical compositions like (moisture, protein, fat, Ash, water holding capacity, shrinkage, cooking loss and pH) were determined. Results of the study revealed that moisture content showed high significant differences (P≤0.01)among treatments groups, Camel sausage and beef sausage tended to have highest values while chicken sausage reported the lowest value. The study showed no significant difference (P≤0.05) among the treatment groups although 7% HF reported the highest value of moisture. Crude protein values showed no significant differences depending on sausage type, while it exhibited significant differences (P≤0.05) among the treatments groups and 7% HF reported the highest value. Ether extract values showed no significant difference (P≤0.05) among the treatments groups due to both sausage type and Hump fat level. Due to sausage types ash values showed significant differences (P≤0.05) among treatments where camel sausage samples showed the highest value while chicken sausage samples showed the lowest value. Concerning to Water Holding Capacity (W.H.C) sausage type factor reported no significant differences (P≤0.01)among treatments group. Due to hump fat levels the study showed highly significant differences (P≤0.05) among the treatment groups although 7% HF reported the highest value. On the other hands Cooking Loss, Shrinkage and pH showed no significant difference (P≤0.05) among the treatment groups in both factors types of sausage and different levels of hump fat. Hump fat in percentage 5%, 7% and 10% could be incorporate in sausage formulation and the best level of fat in sausage formulation has 7%.

Leather Fatliquoring Agent from Camel Hump Fat

Leather Fatliquoring Agent from Camel Hump Fat

Comparative transcriptome analysis of adipose tissues from bactrian camel

The purpose of this study was to reveal the molecular mechanism that regulates fat metabolism in hump of Bactrian camel. The subcutaneous fat (SF), greater omentum (GOM) and hump fat (HF) of Bactrian camel were sequenced by RNA sequencing, and the differentially expressed genes of fat tissue in 3 different parts at transcriptome level were obtained by paired comparison. Genes related to fat metabolism were screened out, among which HF vs. GOM group had the largest number of different genes related to fat metabolism. Some genes such as SCD, FASN, ACACA, ADIPOQ, PLIN1, PLIN4, LPL and HSL were highly expressed in HF. These genes may play an important role in maintaining the energy homeostasis of Bactrian camels in the absence of food. Signaling pathway analysis revealed a number of pathways involved in fat metabolism including AMPK signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, Adipocytokine signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes. These data suggests HF has a greater capacity to modulate the release and storage of triglycerides in adipocytes than GOM.

Proximate Chemical Analysis, Fatty Acid Profile and Microstructural Characteristics of Dromedary Camel Fats (Hump, Renal and Mesentery)

The quality, safety, and suitability of animal fat for processing of a specific meat product is a critical issue. Increasing the human awareness about the health aspects associated with increased intake of animal fat, makes camel fat a suitable raw material for meat processing due to its excellent nutritional contribution. Therefore, the target of this study is examination of the sensory, physicochemical, fat oxidation, fatty acid profile, and other quality parameters of camel fat to evaluate the feasibility for processing of different meat products. To achieve this goal, 30 fat samples each from the hump, renal, and mesentery of Arabian male camels were investigated. The results showed that both the renal and mesenteric fat had honey color and medium-soft texture, while the hump had greyish-white color and hard texture. The sensory panel scores were significantly different between the hump and other fats. Hump fat had significantly (P<0.05) higher moisture, protein, and collagen content, while higher fat content was recorded in mesenteric fat. The fatty acid analysis showed that hump had high SFA and very low PUFA in comparison with both renal and mesenteric fat. Camel fat had high oxidation stability, and the mean values were very low in comparison with the levels of quality and acceptability. The ultrastructural analysis showed that hump fat had high elastin fibers which increase its hardness. The results indicated that both renal and mesenteric fat were more suitable for the production of various meat products than the hump.

Thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains and Salmonella spp. in camel meat burgers

The study aimed to determine D and z-values of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains and Salmonella spp. in camel lean meat burger (CM) and camel meat burger with hump fat (CMF). Two E. coli O157:H7 strains, S. Typhimurium and S. Copenhagen were mixed individually with CM and CMF samples, placed in sterile pouches and exposed to water bath heat treatment at 55, 57.5, 60, 62.5, 65, 67.5 °C for different time intervals. The D-values of E. coli O157:H7 161-84 in CM burgers at 60, 62.5, 65, 67.5 °C were 53.5, 20.1, 8.3, and 3.0 s, respectively, while the values in CMF samples were 76.0, 25.9, 9.9 and 4.1 s, respectively. The D-values of S. Typhimurium in CM burgers at 55, 57.5, 60, 62.5 °C were 349.2, 70.5, 18.4 and 6.7 s, respectively, while the values in CMF were 512.1, 77.1, 21.1 and 8.4 s, respectively. There was a significant (P < 0.05) difference in the D-values of E. coli O157:H7 strains and Salmonella spp. between the two formulations. The z-values of E. coli O157:H7 strains and Salmonella spp. ranged from 5.0 to 6.0 °C and 4.1–4.4 °C, respectively. This study provides preliminary data to the camel meat industry to validate thermal processes.

Comprehensive transcriptome analysis of adipose tissue in the Bactrian camel reveals fore hump has more specific physiological functions in immune and endocrine systems

The unique hump structure of the Bactrian camel has helped it adapt to the harsh desert environment, and the adipose tissue contained in the hump is believed to play important roles in its survival. We used RNA sequencing to examine the transcriptome profiles of 7 adipose tissues of the fore hump, hind hump, subcutaneous, intermuscular, perihepatic, pericardial and peripheral tissues. A total of 4191 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between visceral fat (VF) and hump fat combined with subcutaneous fat (HS). Additionally, DEGs were also identified in the fore hump (FH), hind hump (HH) and subcutaneous fat (SC). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses of the identified DEGs showed that the hump has specialized immune and endocrine functions, in addition to its osmoregulatory roles. Further, DEGs involved in human diseases were significantly upregulated in visceral fat (VF), and DEGs associated with anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic mechanisms were upregulated in HS. So HS seems to be more beneficial to health than visceral fat. Besides, fore hump has more immune and endocrine diverse genetic profile than subcutaneous fat. Thus, fore hump may be important for Bactrian camel's survival. Additional adaptation mechanisms should be further explored by obtaining more information on genetic and molecular mechanisms involved.

Photoprotection Comprising Oil Derived from Dromedary Camel Hump Fat

Photoprotection Comprising Oil Derived from Dromedary Camel Hump Fat

Kinetics of polychlorinated biphenyls in Bactrian camels

The study aimed to determine the accumulation and depuration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Bactrian camels. Four lactating, two-humped camels (Camelus bactrianus) received 0.8 mg PCBs (1.3 μg/kg body weight) daily for 56 days. Then, the depuration of the animals was monitored for the next 4 months. Milk, blood and hump fat of the camels were sampled every 2 weeks and analyzed. Body weight increased significantly, from approximately 550 to 613 kg, by the end of the study. The fat mass in the humps initially decreased (-2.3 kg, P&lt;0.05) then increased at the end of the depuration period (+2.0 kg, P&lt;0.05). At the end of the exposure period, the concentrations of the indicator PCBs were 1.6 mg/g hump fat, 0.85 mg/g milk fat and 0.56 mg/L blood serum, i.e., ten times over the background level. The concentrations in the hump fat decreased significantly during the depuration period, for congeners 28, 52, 101 and 118, but did not vary appreciably for the heavily chlorinated congeners 138, 153 and 180. The apparently stable concentrations of the heavier congeners may be an artifact of the reduced fat mass in the humps during the first part of the depuration period, combined with fat mobilization, which may mask the reduction of stored PCBs. PCB concentrations in the milk and blood were not significantly reduced during the depuration periods, as they represent the outflow of PCBs from the pool stored in the humps and have a weak affinity for lipophilic compounds, respectively. Therefore, it should be recommended to avoid the consumption of raw fat from camel hump in polluted areas because this organ would easily bioaccumulate organic pollutants during an exposure and store it over an extended period. PCB contaminants in milk would reflect the intensity of the outflow from the stored pool, and it would take a longer time in camels than in other ruminants to obtain safe food after the exposure of the animals to persistent organic pollutants.&#x0D;

Evaluation of Xgene(R), a Eurycoma longifolia Extract Enriched Penis CareCream, as a Novel Vehicle in Creating Penis Consciousness and Confidence in Keeping and Maintaining Erection for Penetrative Sex

Ancient Middle-Eastern medicine described the practise of massaging camel hump fat to revive dysfunctional penis. This practice was long forgotten. A cream containing a Malaysian herb, Eurycoma longifolia, known to increase cellular cGMP and cAMP, was put to a study to evaluate its efficacy strengthening and maintaining penis tumescence. 60 men were recruited.50 men were given active cream and the remaining; bland cream. The study was for two months. Each man was taught to massage the glans penis with the cream, to be done for 5 minutes, twice a day. The men filled up the SHIM and the Erection Hardness Score (EHS). All these were repeated at two weeks, one month, 6 weeks and end of study. All men completed the study, claimed the cream made their penis skin fine.4 men on bland cream and all the 50 men on active cream claimed that they get bigger and firmer erections, scoring higher SHIM Score and Erection Hardness Score. The active cream provided better grade erection and good control of ejaculation. The ancient concept of a penis caring cream to maintain healthy penis function and wellness can be a good way in ensuring healthy penis function.

Effect of commercial starter cultures on physicochemical, microbiological and textural characteristics of a traditional dry fermented sausage reformulated with camel meat and hump fat

In this work, a mixture of Staphylococcus carnosus and Lactobacillus sakei was used for the manufacture of a traditional dry fermented sausage reformulated with camel meat and hump fat. Changes of microbiological, biochemical, sensorial and textural characteristics during the ripening of sausages were investigated. The lactic acid bacteria count was significantly higher at day 7 of ripening in inoculated sausages and was accompanied by a lower pH. Proteolysis and lipolysis were observed both in control and in inoculated sausages; however, these activities during ripening could be due to the activity of starter culture enzymes or the activity of meat endogenous enzymes. Sensory profile analysis revealed significant differences in hardness, acidity and color intensity. Finally, the texture analysis showed clear differences, with the inoculated batch being less hard.

Characterization and selection of Lactobacillus plantarum species isolated from dry fermented sausage reformulated with camel meat and hump fat

A total of 29 strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, isolated from traditional dry fermented camel sausages and identified by biochemical and molecular methods, were characterized by their technological and safety properties including acidifying capacity, proteolytic activity, and antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance in order to select the most suitable for use as starter cultures in combination with coagulase-negative staphylococci to improve and standardize the safety and quality of sausages. All the Lb. plantarum were able to hydrolyze casein and some strains showed very weak lipolytic activity. Moreover, all isolates showed acidifying activity by reducing pH to less than 4.3 at 15 and 25 °C after 72 h. Related to safety aspects, the totality of Lb. plantarum was resistant to tetracycline, gentamicin, and kanamycin. A large majority of strains exhibited antimicrobial activities against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aeromonas hydrophila.

Fat harvesting site is an important determinant of proliferation and pluripotency of adipose-derived stem cells

To define the optimal fat harvest site and detect any potential differences in adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) proliferation properties in camels, aspirates from the abdomen and hump sites were compared. Obtained results revealed that ASCs from both abdomen and hump exhibited spindle-shaped and fibroblast-like morphology with hump-derived ASCs being smaller in size and narrower in overall appearance than abdominal ASCs. Abdominal ASCs required a greater time for proliferation than the hump-derived cells. These results were further confirmed with a tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay (MTT) which showed a greater cell proliferation rate for hump ASCs than for the abdomen. Under inductive conditions, ASCs from both abdominal and hump fat deposits maintained their lineage differentiation potential into adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic lineages during subsequent passages without any qualitative difference. However, expression of alkaline phosphatase was higher in osteogenic differentiated cells from the hump compared with those of the abdomen. Moreover, the increase in calcium content in hump-derived stem cells was higher than that in abdominal-derived stem cells. In conclusion, our findings revealed that ASCs can be obtained from different anatomical locations, although ASCs from the hump fat region may be the ideal stem cell sources for use in cell-based therapies.

Fatty acids profile of the dromedary hump fat in algeria

The fatty acid composition of hump fat stemming from 43 Algerian camels (Camelus dromedarius), 1 to 13 years old, both sexes, belonging to Sahraoui and Tergui breeds, was determined. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) represented 64.4% (weight basis) of total fatty acids, while the monounsaturated (MFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fractions accounted for 33.1 and 2.5%, respectively. The main saturated fatty acids, namely palmitic and stearic acids represented 49.6% and 38.8% of SFA (31.5% and 25.5% of total fatty acids). Unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) were mainly represented by oleic acid, 78.1% of MFA (25.9% of total fatty acids), linoleic acid which accounted for 88.5% of omega 6 (1.17% of total fatty acids) and linolenic acid accounting for 63.9% of ω3 (0.42% out of total fatty acids). SFA/PUFA was 0.039 and ω6/ω3, 2.81. The levels of fatty acids, SFA and MFA were significantly higher in females, while the contents in ω6, ω3, CLA, PUFA, as well as the PUFA/SFA and ω6/ω3 ratio were comparable in relation to both sexes. When reported to the breeds, the contents in MFA, PUFA and ω6 was higher in Sahraoui, as the ω6/ω3 ratio was. The percentage of SFA, however, was higher in Tergui.

Bioaccumulation and decontamination mechanisms of persistent organic pollutants (PCB, DDT) in bodies of Bactrian camels

The present study aimed to determine the mechanisms of bioaccumulation and decontamination of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in the body of two-humped camels Camelus bactrianus. The experiment has been carried out in Suzak region of South Kazakhstan. Four lactating two humped camels received 0.8 mg of indicator PCBs (1.3 μg/kg body weight) and DDT 0.12 (DDT 0.2 μg/Kg body weight) mg per camel/day during two months and followed by a 4-month decontamination period. Milk and hump fat of experimental camels have been sampled. Milk samples were analyzed using a liquid-liquid and hump fat using solid extraction by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry method. Concentrations of PCBs and DDT in milk and hump reached a plateau at the end of the 2 months exposure period. Transfer rates into milk ranged between 2% for PCB 101 and 71 % for PCB 180 of the daily dose, which was generally lower than rates observed in ruminants. In the same time, the most important part of the contaminants has been stored in the humps. At the end of experimentation, the total quantity of PCBs excreted in milk was estimated to 28.6 μg and the total quantity accumulated during the contamination period in humps was 5530 μg. Despite a huge variability between the different congeners of iPCBs, the intermediate storage of lipophilic compounds in the humps reduced the concentrations excreted in milk but on the other hand would extent the duration of the decontamination period in comparison with ruminants.

Development of Turkish dry-fermented sausage (sucuk) reformulated with camel meat and hump fat and evaluation of physicochemical, textural, fatty acid and volatile compound profiles during ripening

This study aimed to evaluate and compare sucuks reformulated with camel meat and hump fat (CH) with those manufactured with beef and beef fat (BB), and with a mixture of both (CB, BH), with regard to chemical properties, instrumental color, textural attributes, fatty-acid analysis, sensory quality and flavor analysis. The chemical composition of camel meat sausages was comparable to that of beef. After ripening, the CH sausages showed lower pH and aw values, and higher a and L values than the other types. The texture analysis showed clear differences, with the BH and BB batches being less hard. Fatty-acid profiles differed among the four sausages, with BB showing significantly higher PUFA/SFA ratio than CH. Flavor analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and sensory analysis demonstrated that CH had more intense flavor, due to the greater presence of volatile compounds. Hence, camel meat and hump fat can be successfully formulated into dry-fermented sausages similar to those manufactured from beef and beef fat.

Non-carcass components in omani camels (Camelus dromedarius) raised under various levels of feed intake

The current experiment describes the effects of feeding varying levels of feed intake on non-carcass components on Omani dromedary camels. Twelve Omani male camels (6–8 month old and 203.5± 15.5 kg body weight) were fed a concentrate and Rhodesgrass hay (RGH) diet at a 60:40 then 80:20 concentrate:hay ratio. Camels received a feed intake equivalent to 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5% of body weight for 162 days at the end of which all camels were slaughtered. The slaughter weight of the Omani camels ranged between 228 to 268.5 kg for the low to high intake animals, respectively. The corresponding hot carcass weights were 104.5 and 131.5 kg. The dressing out percentage (DOP) ranged between 45.7 to 48.7%. The skin contributed the highest proportions of the EBW (8.8–9.5%). The proportions of head, feet and neck in the EBW were 3.9–4.16%, 3.9–4.2% and 5.3%, respectively. Generally, the proportions of carcass fat in the camel are higher than the non-carcass due to the significant proportion of the hump (30%). The camel had a low subcutaneous fat cover when the hump is excluded. The total non-carcass fat appears to be lower in camels as compared to other meat animals. The proportion of the kidney plus pelvic fat was the most significant (11.5%) and appears to be similar to other animals. Omental fat was lower as compared to that of other meat animals. A significant fat depot is found on the abdominal floor accounting for 16.8% of total body fat. This is unique to the camel and it may be an adaptation feature possibly to provide insulation when the animal is crouching. It should be noted that the camel carcasses may become extremely fat under intensive management with hump fat extends over the cutis and with the abdominal flap fat, a camel carcass may be classified as over-fat upon carcass grading.

Effect of dietary supplementation of camel hump fat on performance, carcass characteristics, antibody responses and blood metabolites in fattening lambs

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of camel hump fat (CHF) in substitution with a conventional ruminally protected fat source (palm fatty acids powder) on performance, carcass traits, blood biochemical parameters and immunological responses in fattening lambs. Twenty five Afshari male lambs were randomly assigned to the five diets in a completely randomized design. Diets were a control group (no fat supplementation) and groups received the supplemental fat levels of 2.5 or 5% of diet from either calcium salt of fatty acids (CSFA) or CHF. All diets were formulated to be isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. Three representative lambs from each group were slaughtered on d 90 of trial to measure carcass traits. Average daily gain was greater (P<0.05) for lambs fed CHF and 2.5% CSFA diets than the control and 5% CSFA diets. The highest feed intake was occurred orderly in groups received 2.5% CSFA, 2.5% and 5% CHF, and the least feed intakes were seen in control and 5% CSFA lambs. Feed conversion ratio was lower in lambs fed CHF- or 2.5% CSFA-diets. Among the carcass characteristics, only hot and cold carcass efficiencies were influenced (P<0.05) by supplemental fat sources. Absolute (P=0.09) and relative (P=0.06) pancreas weights tended to be affected by dietary fat supplementation so that, pancreas weight in control lambs was significantly lower than those in other treatments. Dietary supplementation by CHF and CSFA had no significant effect on blood glucose and triglycerides; however, plasma high-density lipoproteins and cholesterol concentrations were affected (P<0.05) by dietary treatments and supplemental CHF and CSFA increased plasma levels of both variables. Utilization of CHF at the levels of 2.5 and 5% increased (P<0.01) IgG titers against ovalbumin over the time (P<0.05). Serum γ-globulin content was increased (P<0.05) as the result of supplemental fat sources with the highest values assigned to the lambs fed on CHF-diets. The present findings suggest that camel hump fat can be used as a proper alternative for ruminally protected fat sources in fattening lambs with beneficial impacts on performance and immunological responses.

Proteomics of old world camelid (Camelus dromedarius): Better understanding the interplay between homeostasis and desert environment

Life is the interplay between structural–functional integrity of biological systems and the influence of the external environment. To understand this interplay, it is useful to examine an animal model that competes with harsh environment. The dromedary camel is the best model that thrives under severe environment with considerable durability. The current proteomic study on dromedary organs explains a number of cellular mysteries providing functional correlates to arid living. Proteome profiling of camel organs suggests a marked increased expression of various cytoskeleton proteins that promote intracellular trafficking and communication. The comparative overexpression of α-actinin of dromedary heart when compared with rat heart suggests an adaptive peculiarity to sustain hemoconcentration–hemodilution episodes associated with alternative drought-rehydration periods. Moreover, increased expression of the small heat shock protein, α B-crystallin facilitates protein folding and cellular regenerative capacity in dromedary heart. The observed unbalanced expression of different energy related dependent mitochondrial enzymes suggests the possibility of mitochondrial uncoupling in the heart in this species. The evidence of increased expression of H+-ATPase subunit in camel brain guarantees a rapidly usable energy supply. Interestingly, the guanidinoacetate methyltransferase in camel liver has a renovation effect on high energy phosphate with possible concomitant intercession of ion homeostasis. Surprisingly, both hump fat tissue and kidney proteomes share the altered physical distribution of proteins that favor cellular acidosis. Furthermore, the study suggests a vibrant nature for adipose tissue of camel hump by the up-regulation of vimentin in adipocytes, augmenting lipoprotein translocation, blood glucose trapping, and challenging external physical extra-stress. The results obtained provide new evidence of homeostasis in the arid habitat suitable for this mammal.