Background: Biochemical and haematological parameters have not been determined in Bactrian camels kept at high altitude. Therefore, this study was undertaken to characterise different physiological, haematological, biochemical, and morphometric parameters of Bactrian camels of high altitude. For this, total fourteen high altitude healthy Bactrian camels were selected from Leh-Ladakh, India, a high altitude area, and thereafter divided into three age groups (N = 3 young;N = 6 adult;N = 5 old camels) to characterise for above parameters. All the results were compared with Lowlander Bactrian camels.Results: Morphometric measurement showed significant difference in body height, body length, front-hump height and girth, back-hump height and girth, abdomen girth, neck length, and circumference of the shank in the young age group camels as compared to other age groups of Bactrian camels (p < 0.05). Furthermore, all the physiological and haematological parameters were similar in all the age groups of camels (p < 0.05). However, the leukocyte, erythrocyte, Hb, platelets, monocyte, and ESR level were towards the higher side of the normal reference range of Lowlander Bactrian camels. Whereas, the biochemical analysis revealed a significant increase in triglycerides and decrease in protein levels in the younger age group as compared to other age groups (p < 0.05). Although, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, iron, magnesium, urea, and creatinine levels were insignificant among the different groups, but observed towards the higher side of the low altitude reference range. Interestingly, the glucose levels in all the groups were observed towards the lower side of the range, which showed metabolic adaptation to high altitude.Conclusion: These findings suggested there is morphometric and biochemical variation in Bactrian camel of high altitude. The results further helped in establishing novel reference ranges for these parameters in Highlander Bactrian camel. Hence, this study will be the basis of future research on a Bactrian camel from high-altitude cold desert and helpful for better camel husbandry and health management in high altitude.

High-altitude Bactrian camels (double-hump) are in limited numbers and become a vulnerable species of high-altitude livestock biodiversity. These camels are an important livestock resource, contributing as an integral part of the animal husbandry-based livelihood of agrarian society in the upper Himalayan Mountains of the Leh-Ladakh region of India. There is no standardised methods supported with scientific study for feeding, husbandry, or health management, so the welfare and conservation efforts of this unique animal resource, which is well adapted to hypobaric-hypoxia and extreme temperature, are limited. Furthermore, people prefer loading and riding male camels over female ones, although there is no study to support this preference and gender-based variation in physiological, biochemical, phenotypic (body measurement), and performance parameters in the Bactrian camels of high altitude. Therefore, the current investigations were done to evaluate comparative sexual dimorphism in various parameters of phenotypic measurement, physiological responses, hematological, and biochemical indices in four adult Bactrian camels of each sex from the high-altitude region. The findings revealed (p < 0.05) higher body length and body circumference in males than in females. There was no variation in physiological responses between the sexes. Interestingly, significantly (p < 0.05) higher platelet count was recorded in the male Bactrian camel than the female, whereas other haematologically parameters were not significantly different between the sexes. Similarly, the values of albumin, total protein, and HDL were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the male than the female camels. These findings suggested sexual dimorphism in some parameters of hematological, biochemical, and phenotypic (body measurement) characteristics in high-altitude Bactrian camels, which could be the basis of better endurance work performance of male Bactrian camels while both sexes exhibit comparable physiological stability under high-altitude conditions. This study findings will also be a reference baseline data for future studies on Bactrian camels and useful for their scientific management of health and welfare in high-altitude regions.