Camels being offered for sale need to be described or categorized into a standard system so that the purchaser has an accurate picture of the animals. A descriptive language has proved to be of great benefit to the development of other animal industries in Australia. There is no existing system that formally describes the live camel.

This system is based on six criteria:

• Age
• Sex and Pregnancy Status
• Weight
• Body Confirmation and Breed
• Body Condition
• Colour

Each criteria must be used when describing an individual or a group of camels e.g.

• an 8 year old light framed white riding bull camel, with an estimated weight of 500 kg, not in rut, with a hump score of 3.

or

• a group of 15 heavy framed, generally sandy coloured, long legged adult female camels, of undetermined pregnancy status with a hump score range of 2 - 4. Combined weight at saleyard scales of 6780 kg.