The
wild Bactrian camel (
Camelus ferus) is called
havtgai ("flat") in
Mongolian. It is closely related to the domesticated
Bactrian camel (
Camelus bactrianus). They share characteristics and locales. They are both large,
even-toed ungulates native to the
steppes of
central Asia, with double hump (small and pyramid-shaped). Experts describe it as a separate species from the domesticated Bactrian camel due to its distinct genetic makeup. It is restricted in the wild to remote regions of the
Gobi and
Taklamakan Deserts of
Mongolia and
Xinjiang. A few wild Bactrians still roam the
Mangystau Province of southwest
Kazakhstan and the Kashmir valley in
India. Their habitat arid plains and hills where water sources are scarce have very little vegetation so shrubs are their main food source.