Have you heard about the dugong and would like to know more about some dugong facts? You are in the right place.
The dugong is a large grey marine mammal that belongs to the order of Sirenia. It is believed to descend from land mammals like elephants. The dugong is herbivore and it is also known as “sea cow” due to its eating habits.
Dugong Facts And Characteristics
Let’s learn about some characteristics of the dugong…
Dugongs tend to live alone or in pairs. Occasionally they can be observed in larger herds reaching even 100 dugongs.
The weight of a dugong is in the order of hundreds of kilograms and it can reach 900 kg.
The tail of a dugong is similar to the tail of a dolphin. You can see how its tail looks like in the picture below:
Are Dugongs Aggressive?
Are you wondering if dugongs are friendly or aggressive?
Dugongs are not afraid of people but at the same time they are friendly.
How Does a Dugong Eat?
Do Dugongs eat fish?
Dugongs don’t eat fish or any other animal. Dugongs are herbivores and herbivores only eat plants. This is why dugongs are also known as “sea cows”.
The dugong uses its snout to search for plants at the bottom of the sea. As a result of this, it leaves large furrows on the seabed.
How Long Can Dugongs Stay Underwater?
Dugongs can stay underwater for up to 6 minutes, at that point they have to resurface to breathe.
How Long Do Dugongs Live?
Dugongs can live even longer than 70 years.
Are Dugongs Extinct?
Are you wondering if dugongs are still alive?
How many dugongs are left in the world?
According to this source there are roughly 100,000 dugongs living in 40 different countries. Some of the countries where dugongs live are Australia, Qatar (Persian Gulf), Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan.
Due to its slow reproduction rate the dugong is an animal that risks extinction.
A research published in August 2022 has concluded that dugongs are functionally extinct in China.
Dugong Predators
What are dugong’s predators? Do sharks eat dugongs?
Sharks, for example tiger sharks, eat dugongs considering that dugongs are a relatively easy pray due to poor eyesight. Their predators kill dugongs by drowning them. Orcas also hunt dugongs.
Unfortunately the dugong has also been hunted historically for its oil and meat.
How Do Dugongs Sleep?
When I see these beautiful animals I wonder…
How do they sleep?
Dugongs don’t fall asleep completely in the same way we do as humans. They rest for short intervals of time during which they rest parts of their brain.
Conclusion
We have covered several facts about the dugong. I hope you now know more about this beautiful animal.
