The
dugong (Dugong dugon) is a large marine mammal which, together with the
manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. 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 related to manatees and are similar in appearance and behavior— though the
dugong's tail is fluked like a whale's. Both are related to the elephant,
although the giant land animal is not at all similar in appearance or behavior.
Some believe that dugongs were the inspiration for ancient seafaring tales of
mermaids and sirens.
The
dugong is also the only sirenian in its range, which spans the waters of at
least 37 countries throughout the Indo-Pacific, though the majority of dugongs
live in the northern waters of Australia
between Shark Bay
and Moreton Bay . The dugong is the only strictly
marine herbivorous mammal, as all species of manatee use fresh water to some
degree.
These
enormous vegetarians can be found in warm coastal waters from East Africa to Australia , including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean , and Pacific.
These
languid animals make an easy target for coastal hunters, and they were long
sought for their meat, oil, skin, bones, and teeth. Dugongs are now legally
protected throughout their range, but their populations are still in a tenuous
state.
Quick
stats and scientific classification of Dugong:
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order: Sirenia
Family:
Dugongidae (Gray, 1821)
Subfamily:
Dugonginae (Simpson, 1932)
Genus:
Dugong (Lacépède, 1799)
Species:
D. dugon
Type:
Mammal
Diet:
Herbivore
Average
life span in the wild: 70 years
Size:
8 to 10 ft (2.4 to 3 m)
Weight:
510 to 1,100 lbs (231 to 499 kg)
Group
name: Herd
Protection
status: Threatened
Size:
relative to a 6-ft (2-m)
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