As in most herbivores, the dugong’s brain is very small compared to its body size, likely because it does not … Throughout their range, many human activities threaten dugongs due to the nature of the dugong’s life cycle and its reliance on seagrass habitats. They grow to between 7 and 11 ft in length and can weigh between 500 and 925 lbs. They eat large amounts of seagrass and they leave a trail of bare sand and uprooted grasses behind them. Australia is a signatory to both these conventions. When seagrass is scarce, dugongs feed on algae. Dugongs can hold under water for 10-15 minutes, after which they rise to the surface to inhale air. Dugongs mainly feed upon seagrasses. Their intestines are long and suitable for digesting seagrass, and their metabolism rate is low. Mammals are warm-blooded animals with backbones. The dugong is the only marine mammal that is a strict herbivore. Holding the sea plant in the teeth, the dugong with the front fins undermines its roots. family. To communicate dugongs use chirps, whistles and barks. Dugongs are long-lived, and the oldest recorded specimen reached age 73. In the wild, dugongs eat massive amounts of seagrass, and the closest match to that at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is cos lettuce. By Benjamin Elisha Sawe on October 4 2019 in Environment. The dugong, like all sea cows, is herbivorous. Manatees and dugongs are the only plant-eating marine mammals. Dugongs eat seagrass and the muzzle digs furrows in the seafloor to uproot the seagrass. What Do They Look Like? Dugongs inhabit the warm coastal waters of the. Meet Australia's only captive dugongs - Duration: 3:51. Dugongs eagerly feed on the roots of algae and sea grass. Australia’s shark bay is home to over ten-thousand dugongs. Dugongs can remain underwater for 3 to 12 minutes while feeding and travelling. Search for food animals lead with sensitive tactile whiskers growing on the muzzle. They prefer seagrasses that are low in fiber content, high in nitrogen, and easily digestible.   The dugong features a roughly triangular tail, similar to that of a dolphin, while manatees have large rounded tails. The species belongs to the same order as the manatee, which is one of its closest relatives, but the body of a dugong is streamlined, torpedo-shaped, and can be differentiated by the shape of its tail. Dugong and Human Interaction Historically, dugongs and manatees have made an easy target for hunters, as they are relatively slow moving. A single adult dugong can grow up to three meters, weigh up to 500 kilograms and live for 70 years. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com, is a herbivorous marine mammal, the only extant species of the. However, some could inhabit a single range for the majority of their lives. Their intestines are long and suitable for digesting seagrass, and their metabolism rate is low. 30% of dugong … The dugong (Dugong dugon)is a herbivorous marine mammal, the only extant species of the Dungongidae family. You can help right now by contributing to WWF-Australia's Net-Free North appeal. The dugong has a large cheeks, these large cheeks called jowls help push the sand away from the dugongs mouth , so when it eats, it never swallows sand. Dugongs will live up to 70 years without being killed by another creature.This is for the two dugongs. Dugongs can grow up to three metres in length and weigh over 500 kilograms! Dugongs feed mostly on sea grass. It seems like a perfect spot for these air-breathing herbivores. They grow to between 7 and 11 ft in length and can weigh between 500 and 925 lbs. Dugongs are social animals and are typically observed in groups ranging between 2 and 200 individuals. "Dugongs are the closest living relatives to manatees," Gillian Spolarich, international communications manager at Oceana, an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the oceans, writes via email. Detected pathogens include helminths, cryptosporidium, different types of bacterial infections, and other unidentified parasites. Dugongs feed on a wide variety of sea grass species, and will occasionally eat algae and jellyfish. Dugongs rip up the entire seagrass plant using their upper lip, which is flexible, and when they graze, they leave unique furrows on the seagrass bed that are visible from the surface. It primarily grazes on sea grasses and therefore spends most of its time in sea grass beds. "Both are herbivorous, primarily grazing on sea grasses and spending most of their time in seagrass beds." Dugongs have hair that sparsely covers their bodies, while their muzzles have bristles. Dugongs are hard to see when they come to the surface to breath. Australian Geographic 77,478 views. Feeding tend to occur at very shallow depths of only 1 to 5 meters. Dugong, also known as "sea cows", are herbivores. Manatees use their front flippers and large, flexible lips to manipulate vegetation. A dugongs muzzle is used to help it find its food. A large number of infections and parasitic diseases affect dugongs. Commercial gillnet fishing is a major threat to dugongs along Australia’s eastern coastline. One example of human activity that has an adverse affect on the dugong species is the presence of sand and silt in the ocean, which covers beds of seagrass. Manatees are herbivorous, meaning they feed on plants. They are large animals and can grow up to 3 metres in length and weigh up to 500kg Dugongs are herbivores, which means they only eat plants. Australia is home to the largest dugong population, but the species is also common in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, the eastern coast of Africa, and the western coast of Madagascar. 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