After having gathered data from bibliography about intake, digestibility and nitrogen retention in dromedaries, a study was carried out on 2 female dromedaries, 4 rams and 4 bucks (desert breed). This work has as objective to show the effects of digestibility and nitrogen retention on water intake in three rations: hay, 75 per cent date pits and 25 per cent hay, 75 per cent olive cake and 25 per cent hay. The results show that dromedaries consume less water than small ruminants because of their thermo-regulation if there is no difference concerning dry matter intake - when the three species eat only during the day. Sheep eat less than goats and dromedaries when the diets include date pits or olive cake. Dromedaries digest wall carbohydrates better than small ruminants but nitrogen matter worse than them. Still dromedaries retain higher quantities of nitrogen than small ruminants, except perhaps with the diet containing date wastes.