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Morphometric characterization and estimating body weight of two Algerian camel breeds using morphometric measurements

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Abstract

This study was carried out in order to identify the body measurements of two different Dromedary camel breeds raised in Algeria. The animal material of the study consisted of a total of 115 animals belong to Steppe (n = 55) and Sahraoui (n = 60) camel breeds. Eye and coat colors along with body measurements such as head length, neck length, neck girth, tail length, distance between eyes, distance between ears, body length, withers height, chest girth, and live weight were determined. Least squares means for head length, neck length, neck girth, tail length, distance between eyes, distance between ears, body length, withers height, chest girth, and live weight are found 48.2, 116.9, 65.7, 55.6, 24.1, 22.5, 152.2, 184.5, 141.2 cm, and 217.2 kg for Steppe and 48.1, 101.2, 56.2, 51.2, 23.4, 18.3, 135.6, 167.3, 176.8 cm, and 298.9 kg for Sahraoui camel breeds, respectively. The distribution of brown and black eye colors for the Steppe camel breed is as 58.2% and 41.8%, respectively, while all of the Sahraoui camels studied had a brown eye color. The proportional distribution in terms of body color included are coffee, dark coffee, and red colors for 1.8%, 83.6%, and 14.6% in the Steppe camel and 98.3%, 1.7%, and 0.0% for the Sahraoui camel, respectively. As a result, this study concluded that the withers height and chest girth could estimate the body weight in the two breeds of camels with different ages.

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Abbreviations

PV:

Live weight

CT:

Thoracic circumference

CA:

Abdominal circumference

HG:

Height at withers

WH:

Withers height

BL:

Body length

CG:

Chest girth

NL:

Neck length

NG:

Neck girth

TL:

Tail length

HL:

Head length

DBE:

Distance between eyes

DBEAR:

Distance between ears

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory Pathophysiology and Biochemistry of Nutrition (PpBioNut), Department of Biology, SNV-STU Faculty, University of Tlemcen, Chetouane, Algeria

    I. Meghelli, Z. Kaouadji & S. B. S. Gaouar

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Sciences, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey

    O. Yilmaz, İ. Cemal & O. Karaca

Authors
  1. I. Meghelli
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  2. Z. Kaouadji
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  3. O. Yilmaz
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  4. İ. Cemal
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  5. O. Karaca
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  6. S. B. S. Gaouar
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Correspondence to I. Meghelli.

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This article belongs to the Topical Collection: Camelids

Guest Editor: Bernard Faye

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Meghelli, I., Kaouadji, Z., Yilmaz, O. et al. Morphometric characterization and estimating body weight of two Algerian camel breeds using morphometric measurements. Trop Anim Health Prod 52, 2505–2512 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-020-02204-x

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