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The Dugong (Dugong dugon), or sea cows, are marine mammals which can grow to about three metres in length and weigh as much as 400 kilograms. 1. The name sea cow refers to the fact that they graze on seagrass. As dugongs feed, whole plants are excavated and telltale grazing trails are left behind. Dugong are more closely related to elephants ...
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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.It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.
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 ...
- Dugong Diet: What Do Dugongs Eat?
- Dugong Habitat
- Mermaid Mythology
- Elephant relatives
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 out seag...
These animals live predominantly in the Pacific and Indian oceans near the equator. They prefer tropical coastal regions. Although dugongs live mostly in Australia, these gentle giants also live near Madagascar, India, and Thailand. They live in the ocean but sometimes might find themselves moving up into the land, especially in areas where there i...
Dugongs might just be responsible for mermaid lore. Dugongs tend to travel in packs, and you can sometimes see them sunning themselves right above the waves. It’s possible and even likely that the earliest sailors mistook these shallow-water creatures for mermaids or sirens. Christopher Columbus famously mistook dugong’s relatives, manatees, for me...
Dugongs are mammals and share a common ancestry with other notable animal kingdom members, like elephants. The two creatures likely split paths 50 million years ago, say scientists, with elephants heading for the land and dugongs making their way towards the sea. Like elephants, dugongs are very social and have a well-developed sense of community, ...
Interesting Facts About the Dugong. Dugongs differ from their closest living relative, the manatee, in a number of ways. These unique characteristics set dugongs apart from many other marine mammals. A Truly Marine Mammal – Dugongs are the only species in the order Sirenia (dugongs and manatees) that lives in an exclusively marine environment.
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. The upper lip is cleft and muscular, hanging over the mouth, which ...
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The dugong (Dugong dugon), is a seagrass-dependant marine mammal of tropical and subtropical coastal waters, with high genetic biodiversity value. It is the sole member of the genus Dugong, which is the only extant member of the Family Dugongidae (UNEP, 2002; Bryden et al. 1998). The Dugongidae shares the Order Sirenia with just three species ...
