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The number of growth layer groups in a tusk indicates the age of a dugong, [13] and the cheek teeth move forward with age. [ 23 ] The full dental formula of dugongs is 2.0.3.3 3.1.3.3 , meaning they have two incisors, three premolars , and three molars on each side of their upper jaw, and three incisors, one canine, three premolars, and three molars on each side of their lower jaw. [ 23 ]
- Dugong Species
- Appearance
- Behavior
- Feeding
- Mating and Reproduction
- Life Cycle and Span
- Conservation Status
- North Sulawesi Dugongs
There are 4 species in the dugong family, 3 out of the 4 are manateesand only 1 is dugong: “Dugong dungon”, which is the species we have here in North Sulawesi. The only other true species of dugong (Hydrodamalis gigas) was hunted to extinction in 1767, just 36 years after its discovery. They were similar in appearance to Dugong dugon but substanti...
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. They have short, paddle-like front flipper fins and a straight tail, which they use for propulsion through the water. The tail is t...
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. Large groups don’t stay together for long as there is rarely enough sea grass to support a big group over a long time scale. Dugongs are semi-nomadic; some will migrate long distanc...
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. They have very slow metabolic rates and when se...
Unlike many other marine species, dugong mating is not seasonal and occurs year round. Male dugongs will form a mating train and follow one female attempting to mate with her – this is known as the “following phase” which is followed by the “fighting phase”. Fighting can occur between the males or between one of the males and the female and include...
Dugong calves nurse (suckle) for 18 months or longer and during this time they rarely stray from their mother – they are often seen riding on the mother’s back! The calves suckle from their mothers’ mammary glands which are hidden away under her fins. They continue to remain close to their mother until between 6 and 9 years of age, at which point t...
Dugongs are sadly listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, endangered on the US Federal List and are also listed on Appendix 1 of CITIES (Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species). Dugongs’ threatened status is largely due to human activities; if they are caught in fishing nets and cannot surface for air they will drown – they can ...
We are extremely lucky to have these wonderful marine mammals here in North Sulawesi and to see them at our dive sites. The majority of sightings tend to be around Bunaken and Bangka Island where there are sea grass patches for them to feed on. Peter’s Sponge dive site at Bangkahas been an excellent spot for sightings and for observing some interes...
Adult dugongs weigh from 230 to 400 kg and can range from 2.4 to 4 m in length. Their thick skin is brownish-grey, and its color can vary when algae grows on it. Tusks are present in all dugongs, but they are usually only visible through the skin in mature males, whose tusks are prominent, and in old females.
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.
6 days ago · Dugongs range in length from about 2.2 to 3.4 metres (7 to 11 feet) and weigh 230 to 420 kg (500 to 925 pounds). As with whales and dolphins, the dugong has a tapered body that ends in a deeply notched tail, or fluke. The forelimbs are rounded flippers lacking nails; there are no hind limbs nor any discernible neck.
Mammal. Diet. Herbivore, feeding exclusively on seagrasses. Average lifespan. Up to 70 years in the wild. Size. 3 metres. The dugong is one of the ocean’s most interesting inhabitants. More closely related to the elephant than the dolphin or whale, this gentle seagrass-munching mammal is often given the name ‘sea cow’ and rightly so.
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Jan 1, 2009 · Publisher Summary. The dugong ( Dugong dugon) looks like a cross between a rotund dolphin and a walrus. Its body, flippers, and fluke resemble those of a dolphin without a dorsal fin. Dugongs can be difficult to distinguish from dolphins in the wild. Adults are gray in color but often appear brown from the air or from a boat.
