The camel is sometimes called "the ship of the desert" because for thousands of years it was the only practical means of transportation in vast deserts. Their ability to go a long time without food or water makes them ideal for this purpose. Camels can be found in North American fossil beds, but they later became extinct in this region.

Camels were reintroduced into wester North America to serve as pack animals in the "great american desert" that Jeffersonian era amercans thought existed in the southwest. Camels were also introduced to Australia where they proved useful for a few decades before becoming unnecessary. Becaue their meat had such an unpleasant taste they were set free rather than slaughtered and they soon formed wild herds. Camels are the one exotic species that fits in so well in this environment and doesn't seem to displace native plants and animals.