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Do dugongs give live birth?
Dugongs reproduce via internal fertilization and give birth to large young, which they nurse for as long as a year and a half. Adult dugongs do not have any natural predators, but juveniles may be eaten by saltwater crocodiles, killer whales, and large, coastal sharks.
How often does a dugong reproduce?
Behaviour and reproduction Female Dugongs can give birth to one calf per pregnancy and birth every 3 to 7 years over their 70-year lifespan. Young Dugongs stay with their mothers for the first few months of life. Baby dugongs are also famously cute!
Are dugongs still alive?
The dugong’s current distribution is fragmented, and many populations are believed to be close to extinction. The IUCN lists the dugong as a species vulnerable to extinction, while the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species limits or bans the trade of derived products.
How long is a dugong pregnant?
12 months
Dugong/Gestation period
Do aboriginals eat dugong?
Australian traditional hunting laws give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people the right to hunt dugong, sea turtle and other protected or endangered species for personal, domestic or non-commercial communal needs.
How old is a dugong when it gives birth?
Female dugongs give birth underwater to a single calf at three to seven year intervals. The calf stays with its mother, drinking milk from her teats and following close by until one or two years of age. Dugongs reach adult size between 4 and 17 years of age.
How are dugongs related to other marine mammals?
Dugongs are more closely related to elephants than other marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins. 2. Dugongs only give birth every 3-7 years, and live for up to 70 years. 3.
Why does a Dugong have a small brain?
As in most herbivores, the dugong’s brain is very small compared to its body size, likely because it does not have to develop complex hunting strategies to capture prey. Dugongs reproduce via internal fertilization and give birth to large young, which they nurse for as long as a year and a half.
How long does a Dugong dugon stay underwater?
They also have bristles all over their bodies and around the face to help them forage for food at the bottom of the sea bed. Despite the strong adaptations for their marine habitats, dugongs can only stay underwater for around six minutes at a time before they need to return to the surface for breath.