Wait, are those 'sea cows?' Dugongs, the herbivorous marine mammal 

Charles Kirby Manuyag

DID YOU KNOW? 

Dugongs, also called sea cows or sea pigs, are herbivorous mammals that graze upon 30 kg of seagrass a day. Their diets consist mainly of seagrass as they spend most of their time in seagrass beds, hence the term “sea cows.” 

Found mainly in Australia, Dugongs are much more related to elephants than whales and dolphins. Having been one of the four living members of Sirenia and the other three species of manatees, their ancestors are said to be land mammals, making them the only herbivorous marine mammal. Derived from the local Visayan word Dugong dugon, they received its name when Europeans picked up the said local Visayan word. Visayan is spoken in the modern-day Philippines, particularly in Visayas, Palawan, and Mindanao. 

On the other hand, Dugongs, at a slow pace, move through the bottom of the ocean floor to locate their food with the help of the coarse, sensitive bristles on their upper lip. As they’re found around the coastal waters of the world’s tropical regions, Dugongs spend their time alone or in pairs and sometimes breathe by standing on their tail with their heads above water. 

More so, Dugongs communicate through a series of echoing chirps, whistles, and barks. Their brains make up 0.1% of their body weight but still have good memories and can return to specific feeding areas after traveling far away. Moreover, reproducing via internal fertilization, female Dugongs give birth over 3-7 years over a 70-year lifespan. Youngsters stay with their mothers for the first few months of their life. 

Baby dugongs are famously cute, similar to how Dugongs are amazingly adorable!

Source/s:

Animals A to Z for Kids. (n.d.). Mammals - Dugong. https://www.animalsatozforkids.com/mammals-dugong/

Great Barrier Reef Foundation. (n.d.). Dugong. https://www.barrierreef.org/the-reef/animals/dugong-facts

National Geographic. (n.d.). Facts about Dugong.  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/dugong

Oceana. (2023, March 10). Marine Mammal - Dugong. https://oceana.org/marine-life/dugong/

Sealife Sydney Aquarium. (2023, March 23). 6 Fun & Interesting facts about dugongs. https://www.visitsealife.com/sydney/information/news/6-fun-facts-about-dugongs/

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