![\"ku2gqxcpt3aaof63gmrxuonuuo3kvharzbshjbrt5a9ejbhv.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"](\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/ku2gqxcpt3aaof63gmrxuonuuo3kvharzbshjbrt5a9ejbhv.png.png?w=1140&v=2\")
A typically Christmassy thing to do\u2026 even though the original Christmas story featured a very different animal.<\/p>I happened to come across these cuties at a local garden centre at the weekend.<\/p>
A typically Christmassy thing to do\u2026 even though the original Christmas story featured a very different animal.<\/p>
If you were the wise men, which animal would you have chosen to get you to Bethlehem?<\/p>
Aren\u2019t camels known for the aggressive spitting behaviour?<\/p>
Has Santa made a wiser choice?<\/p>
\u00a0<\/p>
Could a camel stand sub-zero temperatures, get you there on time and carry all your travelling essentials?<\/p>
How about a reindeer, would they fall at the first hurdle and not be able to climb sand dunes? OR would they get hot under the collar in Persia, India and Arabia (where the 3 wise men are supposed to have travelled from)?<\/p>
Let\u2019s see how they stack up against each other\u2026<\/p>
<\/p>
Speed and endurance<\/strong><\/p> Reindeer are faster at 60-80 km\/h (37-50 mph)\u00a0 and camels at 65 km\/h (40 mph) in short bursts.<\/p> Arabian camels can travel up to 64 km per day carrying a load of 200kg. They can maintain an average of 40 km\/h without stopping for one hour and can cover 347 km (215 miles) in 18 hours at an average speed of 19 km\/h. \u00a0<\/p> Reindeer are also capable of trotting at 40 km\/h and can cover can cover 15 to 65 km daily. However, they can only carry 80 kg maximum and during migration half that amount.\u00a0 Having said that, they reach impressive distances of up to 5,000 km (3,100 miles) in a year which shows their incredible endurance.<\/p> So I guess you would just have to weigh up the benefits of more luggage allowance or a long-haul option.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Navigational<\/strong><\/p> Both animals have amazing navigational abilities and can trace their way back home. So if your GPS lets you down, these guys can point you in the right direction.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Defence<\/strong><\/p> It is doubtful whether either of them would be that bothered to fight, but if provoked you\u2019d assume it would be the reindeer with the truly impressive set of armour (renewed every year in just 2 weeks at a rate of 1 inch per day).\u00a0 In reality they only use these to fight in mating season and rarely show signs of aggression.<\/p> However, camels can be very aggressive spitting, biting and kicking with great force. I wouldn\u2019t stand behind one, let me put it that way.<\/p> Who knows what danger a traveller would face in biblical times, maybe travelling up high on an aggressive animal would\u2019ve been a good option.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Harsh temperatures<\/strong><\/p> Reindeer walk in snow, so their cloven hooves (divided into two) distribute their weight, helping them not to sink. Their fur also traps heat, meaning they\u2019re good swimmers, too.<\/p> They can survive sub-zero temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius and up to 40 degrees Celsius all thanks to their amazing insulation.<\/p> Insulation is also the key to a camel\u2019s success, slowing down the transfer of heat from the outside to the inside. They are a hot contender against reindeer, enduring minus 29 degrees Celsius all the way up to 49 degrees Celsius; and able to sit comfortably on very hot sand due to extra pads of skin on their chest and knees.<\/p> It seems camels have a lot in common with their antlered counterparts, as the large size and round shape of camels' feet helps prevent them from sinking into sand and certain species have been known to swim.<\/p> Although the red nose is just a story, reindeers do have lot of tiny veins that circulate warm blood to the nose which heats up the air they breathe in, meaning they don\u2019t get cold.<\/p> Camels can also do something amazing with their noses\u2026 they can completely shut their nostrils during sandstorms.<\/p> Also, they have three sets of eyelids and two rows of eyelashes to keep sand out of their eyes.<\/p> So if it is a question of survival, they are on a relatively equal footing.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Food and water<\/strong><\/p> Nourishment however is where we see a big difference. \u00a0Reindeer like to eat\u00a0a variety of wet vegetation like mosses, shoots and leaves. In winter, they seek out lichen and fungi. But have you noticed that all this stuff wouldn\u2019t be found in a desert?\u00a0<\/p> Camels are way less picky eating anything from thorny plants to fish bones.<\/p> They are famous for going without water for up to 15 days, allowing their body temperature to rise instead of sweating or panting to release heat in order to retain necessary fluids within the body. Also, their blood cells store fluids that incredibly keep them healthy even when dehydrated.<\/p> If you already had to carry your own food, packing less for the camel would\u2019ve been an advantage.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Suitability<\/strong><\/p> As you can see, camels and reindeer have both adapted to their surroundings making them suitable for their own environment.<\/p> Both animals are more versatile than commonly given credit, but it seems like Rudolph would struggle in such a dusty, hot climate as a desert. He is more suited to the harsh environment of Alaska or Greenland where he can get his green food. Camels have beat them to the post in terms of surviving a hot desert with their knee pads, 3rd<\/sup> eyelids and capacity to withstand scorching desert heat and water scarcity; but wouldn\u2019t survive in the harshest of winters in the Arctic.<\/p> They are both where they are supposed to be \ud83d\ude09<\/span><\/p> I wonder how much the gold and other gifts weighed and whether that meant they had limited baggage allowance.<\/p>![\"6586606044176c7fb5b3cfc48d26d85d641044fc23d9cd7b.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"](\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/6586606044176c7fb5b3cfc48d26d85d641044fc23d9cd7b.png.png?w=1140&z=1.4000000000000004&fx=0.5032160098024664&fy=0.48857562968806567&v=2\")
Funnily enough, when I was designing my latest t-shirt, I didn\u2019t think all this through. I merely made the connection that both of these amazing animals are known for carrying a bringer of gifts, and the 3 wise men chose camels for their arduous journey to bring gifts and worship Jesus. <\/p>