Dugongs swim by moving their broad whale-like tail in an up and down motion, and by use of their two flippers. Check out our Great Barrier Reef facts for kids. Dugong Kids Clothing by The Sleepy Monito. Great Barrier Reef Facts. Dugongs grow to a maximum length of 13 feet (4 m) long and weight of 595 pounds (270 kg). THE SEA-GRASS plains of Moreton Bay, off the coast of Queensland, is home to one of Australia’s largest populations of dugong. To find out more about dugongs, grab a copy of issue 118 (Jan/Feb 2014) of Australian Geographic. Dugong Facts & Trivia for kids The Dugong is a large marine mammal which is related to the manatee. Unlike other marine mammals, dugongs cannot hold their breath under water for very long. Dugongs are large marine mammals inhabiting warm ocean waters surrounding Australia and Indonesia. December 22, 2014 | Darren Poke. Dugong populations take a long time to recover because they have a very slow breeding rate and are vulnerable to loss of seagrass habitat. Dugongs as a result have adapted in response to this change and have learnt to travel long distances to warmer parts of the ocean, even if this means in deeper areas. 2. Dugongs are sirenians and therefore related to manatees. 3. Dugongs can live up to 70 years. Taiwan: there is a lot of evidence that the dugong is practically extinct here. So we wanted to give a shoutout to their cousin - the dugong! 1. The legend of the mermaid is based upon sightings by sailors of dugongs. A dugong can remain underwater for up to 6 minutes. 3. Its closest living relatives are the manatees. Today I want to write about a beautiful, gentle animal, the dugong. 1. Dugongs reach adult size between 4 and 17 years of age. It shares a common ancestor with the elephant. Dugongs (Dugong dugon), also known as sea cows, have a broad but fragmented range, encompassing tropical waters from East Africa to Vanuatu, about 26 degrees both north and south of the equator.This range spans at least 48 countries and about 140,000 km of tropical coastline. The Dugong is a large, grey brown bulbous animal with a flattened fluked tail, like that of a whale, no dorsal fin, paddle like flippers and distinctive head shape. 4. The dugong (/ ˈ dj uː ɡ ɒ ŋ /; Dugong dugon) is a medium-sized marine mammal.It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees.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 only give birth every 3-7 years, and live for up to 70 years. Dugong list of facts is made of finely balanced population parameters. Dugong Magic. They come to the surface to breathe through nostrils Research and tracking of dugongs have shown that Dugongs travel over 100km to warmer part of that bay during winter and then eventually return to their original bays during the warmer seasons. These unique characteristics set dugongs apart from many other marine mammals. Did you know that: The dugong, Dugong dugon, is the only extant member of the Dugongidae family and is one of four species of Sirenia. Out of the Sirenia Order that also includes three manatees’ species, the dugong is the fourth living species. At the back of the book you’ll also find some valuable dugong facts to go through with the kids. Dugong – Facts, Pictures, Habitat, Characteristics. The dugong is a medium-sized marine mammal who is the only surviving representative of the Dugongidae family. Threats to Dugongs. dugongs; ecosystem; environmental laws; great barrier reef; protected areas; queensland; Did you know today is Manatee Appreciation Day? It derives its name from the Malay language, where duyung means “lady of the sea” or “mermaid”. Dugong facts; Life span (maximum longevity - most dugong die at a younger age) 70 years : Age before breeding (females) 6-17 years: Age before breeding (males) 4-16 years: Gestation period: 13-15 months: Number of young: 1: Lactaction length: 14-18 months: Time between breeding: 3-7 years: Maximum possible rate of increase (e.g. #Dugong facts. Home; About Hayden; Amphibians; Birds; Fish; Invertebrates – Land; Invertebrates – Water ; Mammals; Reptiles; 5 Interesting Facts About Dugongs. 4. Range of color options. Although the age of sexual maturity of Dugongs is usually 9 or 10 years, sometimes it takes 15 years for a Dugong to reach its sexual maturity. Solid colors are 100% cotton, heather colors are cotton blends. The Dugong is a large, grey brown bulbous animal with a flattened fluked tail, like that of a whale, no dorsal fin, paddle like flippers and distinctive head shape. Dugong will eat algae in addition to it's primary diet of sea grasses. Sadly, these beautiful and rare marine mammals need your help. A contributing factor to the reason dugongs are an endangered species is because of the gestation period and the late age of sexual maturity. 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. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. Dugong are part of the Sirenia order of animals, which are often known as "sea cows". Predators The main predators of Dugongs are sharks, killer whales and crocodiles. There was one other modern member — Steller’s sea cow; a huge, slow-swimming northern Pacific mammal that ate seaweed and may have reached weights of up to 10 tonnes.