WI: Bactrian and Dromedary camels introduced to Europe during the Roman Empire?

SeaCambrian

What if Bactrian and Dromedary camels were introduced to Europe during the Roman Empire?

Would their purpose be as pack animals for trade, livestock, military animals?

What obstacles are there to Bactrians and Dromedaries in Europe? Southern Europe should be warm enough for dromedaries, and Bactrian camels should be cold-tolerant enough for at least half of Northern Europe.
 
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Plateosaurus

"Bactrian camels should be cold-tolerant enough for at least half of Northern Europe."

About that, bactrians are primarily specialised to open steppeland of central Asia, not the muddy forests and boglands of north Europe. Not saying they couldn't work there, just not with much breeding.
 

SeaCambrian

Plateosaurus said:
"Bactrian camels should be cold-tolerant enough for at least half of Northern Europe."

About that, bactrians are primarily specialised to open steppeland of central Asia, not the muddy forests and boglands of north Europe. Not saying they couldn't work there, just not with much breeding.
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Would the humidity difference matter that much? In what ways would they face more difficulties than horses?
 
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Arkenfolm

Plateosaurus said:
"Bactrian camels should be cold-tolerant enough for at least half of Northern Europe."

About that, bactrians are primarily specialised to open steppeland of central Asia, not the muddy forests and boglands of north Europe. Not saying they couldn't work there, just not with much breeding.
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Bactrian camels did pretty well in British Columbia though although they met the critical problem that horses and mules and especially the ones in charge of them tend not to like camels much. So the critical issue would be more fitting them into the culture in general rather than the animal's issues in adapting.
 
Gabingston

Gabingston

Plateosaurus said:
"Bactrian camels should be cold-tolerant enough for at least half of Northern Europe."

About that, bactrians are primarily specialised to open steppeland of central Asia, not the muddy forests and boglands of north Europe. Not saying they couldn't work there, just not with much breeding.
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They could work in Ukraine and Southern Russia, I'd assume.
 

Minchandre

What is the need? Very few places in Europe are dry enough to justify them (maybe Iberia?), and while they can carry much more than horses, mules, or donkeys, they're also notoriously hard to work with an uncomfortable to ride. Even in places with extensive use of camels, horses were often preferred when you were wealthy enough to use them.

Anyway, maybe we can get dromedaries introduced to Iberia by Muslims and have them catch on?
 

Jan Olbracht

Tatars kept bactrian camels in Crimea and in Volga steppes. Ottomans used camels (both bactrians and dromedaries) during their campaigns in Balkans, Hungary and Ukraine.
In the year 986 Mieszko I of Poland gave camel as gift to emperor Otto and there is 10th century picture of camel in one of Kiev's churches.
 

Fabius Maximus

Minchandre said:
What is the need? Very few places in Europe are dry enough to justify them (maybe Iberia?), and while they can carry much more than horses, mules, or donkeys, they're also notoriously hard to work with an uncomfortable to ride. Even in places with extensive use of camels, horses were often preferred when you were wealthy enough to use them.
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Horses hate the smell of camels, and camels have been used to spook enemy cavalry since at least Persian times (it's how Cyrus managed to defeat the Lydian army, according to Herodotus), so there's a possible military use for them.
 

Jan Olbracht

Fabius Maximus said:
Horses hate the smell of camels, and camels have been used to spook enemy cavalry since at least Persian times (it's how Cyrus managed to defeat the Lydian army, according to Herodotus), so there's a possible military use for them.
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Ottomans did it too, for example during Battle of Varna in 1444 where horses of Hungarians were scared by Turkish camels, although camels served mostly as pack animals. Fact, that Ottomans used camels extensively also in their European campaigns says, that they were not that impractical animals in Southeastern Europe (and OTL Ottoman Empire IMHO fullfills condition of OP)
 
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