Search results
Unlike in manatees, the dugong's teeth do not continually grow back via horizontal tooth replacement. [26] The dugong has two incisors ( tusks ) which emerge in males during puberty. The female's tusks continue to grow without emerging during puberty, sometimes erupting later in life after reaching the base of the premaxilla . [ 19 ]
Despite their solitary nature, Dugongs constantly communicate with one another through a series of echoing chirps, whistles, and barks. Female Dugongs can give birth to one calf per pregnancy and birth every 3 to 7 years over their 70-year lifespan.
Dugongs can travel up to 20 km/ph (12.4mph) over a short distance. Normally though they will cruise at 10 km/ph (6.2mph) but they can move even slower if they are feeding. To communicate dugongs use chirps, whistles and barks.
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.
After feeding, dugongs leave so-called 'feeding trails' - furrows, made on the seafloor. Immediately after birth, female dugongs push their offspring to the surface to breathe. In order to breathe, dugongs are known to stand on their tails, pointing their heads out of the water.
Dugongs are herbivores, feeding exclusively on seagrasses, cropping the leaves and roots by using their broad muzzle to move the food into the mouth. Dugongs tend to occur in groups or herds and their movement over an area can be followed by the sand plume disturbances to the sea floor.
Tracking dugongs can help to better understand their spatial ecology and support conservation and management actions. But under some circumstances capturing and tracking dugongs can be dangerous. Which tool to use really depends on your research questions. © Matthieu Juncker
