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Like all modern sirenians, the dugong has a fusiform body with no dorsal fin or hind limbs. The forelimbs or flippers are paddle-like. The dugong is easily distinguished from the manatees by its fluked, dolphin-like tail, but also possesses a unique skull and teeth. Its snout is sharply downturned, an adaptation for feeding in benthic seagrass ...
- 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...
Dugongs graze on underwater grasses day and night, rooting for them with their bristled, sensitive snouts and chomping them with their rough lips. ... bones, and teeth. Dugongs are now legally ...
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 ...
15. They can hold their breath for over 10mins. Dugong’s need to breath in oxygen from the surface, and then they are able to hold their breaths for up to 11mins at a time and can dive as deep as 33 meters to feed on the sea bed. 16. They may have been the inspiration for mermaid legends.
- Shallow warm coastal waters
- Mainly in Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean
- Up to 70 years
- 8 to 10 feet
May 27, 2024 · The dugong is one of four living members of the order Sirenia — the others being three species of manatees — and the only living member of the family Dugongidae. A second member of the family, Steller’s sea cow, was driven to extinction in the 18th century due to overhunting. Nineteen total genera from the family are known from the fossil ...
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May 7, 2015 · Dugong Facts. Dugongs can live for 70 years or more. Dugongs are more closely related to elephants than to other marine mammals. The colour of a Dugong can change due to growth of algae on the skin. As soon as a baby Dugong is born, the mother pushes it to the surface so that it can take a breath of air.
