These enormous vegetarians can be found in warm coastal waters from East Africa to Australia, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific. Dugongs are related to manatees and are similar in appearance and behavior— though the dugong’s tail is fluked like a whale’s.
What is the closest relative to a dugong?
Dugong are more closely related to elephants than to other marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, but their closest living aquatic relatives are the manatees .
What is difference between manatee and dugong?
Dugongs have tail flukes with pointed projections at the tips, much like a whale or dolphin, but with a somewhat concave trailing edge. Manatees have paddle-shaped tails more like a beaver that moves vertically while swimming. The snout of a dugong is broad, short, and trunk-like.
Are sea cows and dugongs the same?
Dugongs are part of the Sirenia order of placental mammals which comprises modern “sea cows” (manatees as well as dugongs) and their extinct relatives. Sirenia are the only extant herbivorous marine mammals and the only group of herbivorous mammals to have become completely aquatic.
What is the closest relative to the manatee?
Despite the nickname “sea cow
Is it OK to touch a manatee?
If manatees become accustomed to being around people, they can alter their behavior in the wild, perhaps causing them to lose their natural fear of boats and humans, which may make them more susceptible to harm.
Why don t alligators eat manatees?
And even young manatees are quite large for alligators to swallow. 2. Manatees have extremely thick hides . ... So while newborn baby manatees can be swallowed whole by alligators, their thick hides mean they are a digestive nightmare, making them undesirable for alligators to bother them.
What is a group of manatee called?
Manatees often swim alone or in pairs. They are not territorial, so they have no need for a leader or followers. When manatees are seen in a group, it is either a mating herd or an informal meeting of the species simply sharing a warm area that has a large food supply. A group of manatees is called an aggregation .
Are dugongs friendly?
Dugongs are huge but friendly . Dodong signals us to keep at least five meters away from the obliviously grazing bull, crunching on clumps of Halophila ovalis, which unlike most types of seagrass, has small round leaves instead of flowing grass blades.
Has a manatee ever killed a human?
According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, approximately 99 manatee deaths each year are related to human activities. In January 2016, there were 43 manatee deaths in Florida alone.
Can a manatee bite you?
A manatee won’t bite you! Manatees are naturally gentle and docile creatures, and they love human company, too. When you float in the water and encounter them, manatees will monitor your movements keenly and tolerate you. If they sense that you are a danger to them, they will avoid you and move away.
Can you swim with a manatee?
There’s only one place in North America where you legally swim with manatees, and that’s in the Crystal River area — located about 90 minutes north of Tampa, on the west coast of Florida. ... Crystal River is where you’re legally permitted to swim with manatees in their natural habitat.
What eats a manatee?
Manatees don’t really have any real predators . Sharks or killer whales or alligators or crocodiles could eat them, but since they don’t usually inhabit the same waters, this is pretty rare. Their biggest threat is from humans.
How can you tell if a manatee is in distress?
- If you see a manatee with a pink or red wound or with deep cuts. ...
- If you see a manatee with grayish-white or white wounds, this likely means the wound has healed. ...
- If the manatee is tilting to one side, unable to submerge, seems to have trouble breathing, or is acting strangely.
How long does a manatee live?
Manatees reach sexual maturity in 3-5 years (females) and 5-7 years (males) and may live over 65 years in captivity .
