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The dugong (/ ˈ d (j) uː ɡ ɒ ŋ /; Dugong dugon) is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees.
6 days ago · Dugongs are long-lived animals (up to 73 years). Predation by killer whales and sharks has been documented, and crocodiles may also prey on dugongs. In the past dugongs were widely and heavily hunted by humans for their meat, hides, and oil.
- Dugongs Are Also Called Sea Cows. Dugongs have very muscular cleft upper lips that stick out over their mouths. These bristled and ultra-sensitive snouts are very strong and allow dugongs to root around the ocean floor and grab seagrass.
- They are Closely Related to Elephants. There were once other Dugongidae species like dugongs in the oceans, like the Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas).
- You Can Guess a Dugong’s Age by Looking at the Rings on Its Tusks. The tusks of a dugong are actually just two elongated front teeth. These stick out from their mouths and have sharp, angled edges.
- Dugongs Can Live for a Very Long Time. When dugong babies are born, they are only around 3 or 4 feet long and weigh 44 to 77 pounds. That may not seem all that small, but a fully grown dugong can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds!
The dugong is the only sirenian in its range, which spans the waters of some 40 countries and territories throughout the Indo-West Pacific. These animals are called 'sirenians' since their mammary glands and nursing habits are similar to those of humans'. Hence, sailors often call dugongs mermaids or sirens.
The dugong is a gray/brown marine mammal with a torpedo-shaped body. They are considerably more streamlined in appearance than their rather rotund relative, the manatee. Dugongs also differ from their manatee cousins in the shape of their tails.
Dugongs and elephants share a monophyletic group with hyraxes and the aardvark, one of the earliest offshoots of eutherians. The fossil record shows sirenians appearing in the Eocene, where they most likely lived in the Tethys Ocean.
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Dugongs are related to manatees and are similar in appearance and behavior— though the dugong's tail is fluked like a whale's.
