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Are dugongs nocturnal?
They are sluggish, largely nocturnal bottom feeders and consume up to 100 lb (45 kg) of vegetation daily. They must surface for air every 15 or 20 min. They are usually 7 to 12 ft (2.1–3.6 m) long and weigh about 500 lb (225 kg), although males sometimes grow much larger.
Are dugongs nocturnal or diurnal?
Their feeding behavior actually leaves behind large furrows on the sea bed that can be seen from the surface. Dugongs are active foragers during both day and night hours.
Does a dugong breathe air?
Believe it or not, the closest land relative to the dugong is the elephant. Dugongs breathe in oxygen from above the surface of the water through there nostrils, a dugong can hold its breath for up to 11 minutes and dive up to 33 metres to feed.
Where does a dugong sleep?
Our female sleeps on the surface and naturally wild dugongs sleep on the bottom.
What is a group of dugongs called?
Group Name: Herd. Average Life Span In The Wild: 70 years. Size: 8 to 10 feet. Weight: 510 to 1,100 pounds.
What kind of environment does a dugong live in?
A Truly Marine Mammal – Dugongs are the only species in the order Sirenia (dugongs and manatees) that lives in an exclusively marine environment. Manatees are mainly freshwater animals, and spend only short times in the ocean. Dugongs can spend their entire lives at sea.
What kind of food does a dugong eat?
Dugongs are primarily herbivorous, grazing on up to 30kg of seagrass a day. They eat both day and night, locating their food with the help of coarse, sensitive bristles on their upper lip. These large creatures are found in warm water around coastlines, both north and south of the equator.
How long does a dugong stay with its mother?
A young dugong remains close to its mother for about 18 months, sometimes catching a ride on her broad back. These languid animals make an easy target for coastal hunters, and they were long sought for their meat, oil, skin, bones, and teeth.
Where does the term dugong come from in Australia?
Despite common misconception, the term does not come from Malay duyung and it does not mean “lady of the sea”. Other common local names include “sea cow”, “sea pig” and “sea camel”. It is known as the balguja by the Wunambal people of the Mitchell Plateau area in the Kimberley, Western Australia.