Search results
May 27, 2024 · Scientific Name. The scientific name of the dugong is simply Dugong dugon. This name probably comes from the local Visayan word for the species, which was later picked up by Europeans. Visayan is spoken in what is now the modern-day Philippines.
- Female
- April 22, 1960
The dugong is a herbivorous marine mammal sometimes referred to as a ‘sea cow’, and one of four living species that belongs to the order Sirenia. They graze on underwater grasses and have an adorable, plump appearance, with a dolphin tail, round head and downward snout.
- Shallow warm coastal waters
- Mainly in Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean
- Up to 70 years
- 8 to 10 feet
The dugong (/ ˈd (j) uːɡɒŋ /; Dugong dugon) is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees.
- 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 an aquatic mammal with thick, tough, and smooth skin. The skin color of newborn dugongs is pale cream, darkening as they age, becoming deep slate gray on the sides and dorsum. The body of the dugong is sparsely covered with hair, and the muzzle exhibits bristles.
May 7, 2015 · Dugongs like warm water and are found between 27° north and south of the equator. There may be more than 80,000 Dugongs in Australian waters, more than half the world’s total. The scientific name for a Dugong is Dugong dugon .
6 days ago · dugong, (Dugong dugon), marine mammal that inhabits the warm coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, feeds on seagrasses, and is similar to the manatee.
