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Dugongs are large marine mammals often called sea cows due to their herbivorous diet and slow, gentle nature. They are related to both manatees and—surprisingly—elephants. They live in warm coastal waters from East Africa to Australia, grazing on underwater grasses as their main food source. They share many physical characteristics with ...
1. Dugongs grow to a maximum length of 13 feet (4 m) long and weight of 595 pounds (270 kg). 2. Dugongs can live up to 70 years. 3. Dugongs are referred to as sea cows because they use their strong, cleft upper lips to graze on sea grasses they uproot from the seafloor. 4. Dugongs are sirenians and therefore related to manatees.
The dugong is the only strictly marine herbivorous mammal, as all species of manatee utilise fresh water to some degree. [13] Nonetheless, they can tolerate the brackish waters found in coastal wetlands, [ 33 ] and large numbers are also found in wide and shallow mangrove channels and around leeward sides of large inshore islands, where seagrass beds are common. [ 13 ]
- Dugongs Are Also called Sea Cows
- They Are Closely Related to Elephants
- You Can Guess A Dugong’S Age by Looking at The Rings on Its Tusks
- Dugongs Can Live For A Very Long Time
- Dugongs only Live in Salt Water
- They Have Smooth Yet Hairy Skin
- They Can’T See Well — But Their Hearing Is Superb
- Dugongs Can Stand on Their Tails
- Legends of Mermaids Might Have Originated from Dugongs
- Dugongs Are in Danger of Extinction
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 the only herbivorous marine mammalsin the world, and seagrass makes up most of their diet. Dugongs spend both night and day grazing on a ...
There were once other Dugongidae species like dugongs in the oceans, like the Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas). Sadly, the Steller’s sea cow became extinctin the 18th century due to hunting by humans — so dugongs are now the last surviving member of the family Dugongidae. Dugongs are also one of four species that belong to the order Sirenian ...
The tusks of a dugong are actually just two elongated front teeth. These stick out from their mouths and have sharp, angled edges. But not all dugongs have these magnificent tusks — only mature males and some older females are lucky enough to grow a pair of these tremendous teeth. Not only do some dugongs sport impressive tusks — their tusks also c...
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! However, it does take a long time for a dugong to get that big. Depending on where they live, some dugongs are not fully grown until they ar...
Unlike their manatee cousins who often live in both fresh water and salt water, dugongs only live in saltwater habitats. These gentle giants glide through the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The largest dugong population is in Australia. Dugongs primarily eat seagrass, which restricts where they can live. They typically li...
When baby dugongs are born, their skin is a light cream color. As they grow older, their skin becomes a darker slate-gray color, and their bellies have a lighter gray hue. Some dugongs may have a slightly different coloration as well if they have algae growing on their skin. Dugong skin is sleek and smooth, but they actually do have hair too! Their...
A dugong has pretty small eyes. Because of this, they can’t see very well — so they use their excellent sense of touch and superb hearing instead. When they communicate with one another, dugongs use a combination of different sounds as well as physical touch. They use sounds like barks, whistles, and chirps, which all echo underwater. Different sou...
Even though dugongs live in the ocean, they are mammals and need to return to the surface regularly to breathe. Dugongs can hold their breath for about six minutes at a time. While they often spend their time in shallower waters, they can also dive down almost 100 feet into the ocean! Their nostrils are on top of their snouts, so they can pop their...
The way that dugongs gracefully lift their heads out of the ocean’s waters is not unlike ancient descriptions of sirens and merfolk in mythology. Many historians believe that these enchanting marine mammals may have inspired many of the ancient mermaid legends. In fact, “dugong” comes from the Malay language and means “lady of the sea”. In fact, ma...
Adult dugongs don’t have many natural predators, but baby dugongs are often hunted by killer whales, crocodiles, and sharks. However, due to human activities, dugongs are now in danger of going extinct (much like their now-extinct cousins, the Stellar’s sea cow). In fact, while dugongs once peacefully lived in the ocean waters of southern China, th...
Some believe that dugongs were the inspiration for ancient seafaring tales of mermaids and sirens. ... Herbivore. Group Name: Herd. Average Life Span In ... These languid animals make an easy ...
Dugongs are not afraid of people but at the same time they are friendly. How Does a Dugong Eat? Do Dugongs eat fish? Dugongs don’t eat fish or any other animal. Dugongs are herbivores and herbivores only eat plants. This is why dugongs are also known as “sea cows”. The dugong uses its snout to search for plants at the bottom of the sea.
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Since dugongs are herbivores, their diet consists exclusively of seagrass. They are often referred to as “sea cows” because of their grazing habit below the waves. Dugongs live in very shallow, temperate water where seagrass flourishes, and they need to eat plenty of it to stay healthy. These animals tend to graze 24 hours a day, ferreting ...
