While dugongs like to chomp on underwater plants like their manatee family members, they're distinct in one specific way: They never enter fresh water. That means they're the only exclusively marine mammal that is herbivorous. And one detail from the Oceana website that simultaneously breaks and warms my heart: " Manatees can grow longer and heavier than dugongs. They are referred to as sea cows because they use their strong, cleft upper lips to graze on sea grasses they uproot from the sea floor.
In addition to living up to 70 years, dugongs can grow up to 13 feet 4 meters and weigh as much as pounds kilograms. According to Spolarich, while manatees live on the western coasts of the Atlantic, dugongs are located throughout the warm latitudes of the Indian and western Pacific oceans. Like manatees, female dugongs in season attract the attention of several males and eventually mate with one or two. One calf is born after a gestation period of months a long gestation period!
Babies stick close to their moms for several years, and females only reproduce once every two and a half to seven years. While there are some key differences between the dugong vs manatee, there are still lots of similarities.
One of the big similarities is unfortunately that both animals are threatened. However, hopefully now with this new knowledge, you can learn more about how to protect both the dugong and the manatee so they can both continue to exist. Contact us today to learn more about what you can do to protect manatees! Log in or Create account. Cart 0. Menu Cart 0. Physical Differences While manatees and dugongs may look very similar, there are some key differences that make them distinguishable from each other.
Habitats One major difference between the manatee and the dugong is their natural environment. They spend most of their lives grazing on underwater grasses, rooting for them with their bristled, sensitive snout which acts as a sub-aqua hoover. Unfortunately, due to their docile behaviour, they are easy prey to illegal hunters, and their population has been heavily reduced.
Female manatees usually give birth at three years and continue to do so every two to three years. Their gestation period is 12 months.
Female dugongs differ in that they usually give birth at 10 years and only every three to five years after that. This is mainly due to their long lifespan and slow rate of reproduction.
Dugongs have short, broad, downward facing trunk-like snouts that are horseshoe-shaped with a slit-like mouth. The snout ends with a cleft, a muscular lip that aids the dugong in its foraging for seagrass — because of this it is a strictly bottom-dwelling feeder.
Manatees have a divided upper lip and a shorter snout, which means that they are able to gather food to eat and also able to feed on plants growing at or near the surface of the water. Manatees are voracious herbivores found throughout the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and Africa. Their diet consists mostly of plants like mangroves, turtle grass and some algae. Females begin birthing around ten years old and continue to do so every three to five years. Average lifespan. Average weight.
Manatee vs. Habitat One major difference between dugongs and manatees is their habitat. Physical Differences It is true, that manatees and dugongs look very similar, still, there are a few notable differences when it comes to their physical attributes. Social Life Both manatees and dugongs are primarily solitary animals but have very different approaches when it comes to partners. Related Posts.
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