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Sadly hunting, habitat destruction, and accidental collisions with boats has lead to the depletion of some populations. Interesting Dugong Facts 1. They once swam through Egypt. According to recent findings, dugongs inhabited waters that flowed over present-day Egypt approximately 40 million years ago. Their ancestors were likely semi-aquatic ...
- Shallow warm coastal waters
- Mainly in Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean
- Up to 70 years
- 8 to 10 feet
- 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!
Jul 14, 2023 · Key Takeaways: Dugongs are gentle sea creatures with a unique appearance, long lifespan, and vital role in maintaining the balance of seagrass ecosystems. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect their populations and ensure their survival. Dugongs, also known as “sea cows,” are herbivorous marine mammals found in warm coastal waters.
Dugongs are large animals. 5. The tails are flat and flippers similar to whales; however, they’re closer to elephants. 6. Dugongs evolved 50-60 million years ago when animals like elephants entered and started living in the waters. 7. They have largemouth, and an upper lip made to be a bristling seagrass. 8.
- Dugong Species. There are 4 species in the dugong family, 3 out of the 4 are manatees and only 1 is dugong: “Dugong dungon”, which is the species we have here in North Sulawesi.
- Appearance. Dugongs are often referred to as “sea cows” due to their heavy, solid looking bodies. They are a greyish brown color and range in length from 2.4 meters up to 4 meters and adults weigh from between 230 – 400 kilograms.
- Behavior. Dugongs are a social species and found in groups which can vary in size from just 2 to 200 individuals. Pairs of dugongs found together are often mother and calf pairs.
- Feeding. Dugongs are the only completely herbivorous marine mammal on the planet and their diet consists entirely of sea grass. They use their upper lips to uproot the entire sea grass plant rather than eating only the leaves – this leads to dugong “trails” which are like sandy pathways through sea grass beds.
Aug 15, 2021 · They are social creatures. Dugongs are considered to be social creatures as they often travel in pairs but they can also, although rarely, be found in large herds of around 200. In February 2020 however, a large herd of 600-700 dugongs were spotted just off the Qatari coast. This was one of the largest herds ever recorded, anywhere in the world.
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1. Dugongs are marine mammals closely related to elephants. Dugongs are unique sea creatures that belong to the order Sirenia. They’re often called sea cows due to their plant-eating habits. Despite living in the water, dugongs are more closely related to land animals than other marine mammals.
