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| Dugong | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Family: | Gray, 1821 |
| Subfamily: | Dugonginae Simpson, 1932 |
| Genus: | Dugong Lacépède, 1799 |
| Species: | D. dugon |
| Binomial name | |
| Dugong dugon (Müller, 1776) | |
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| Natural range of D. dugon. | |
The dugong (Dugong dugon) is a large mammal that lives its whole life in the sea.
They are sometimes called "sea cows" as they eat large amounts of sea grass. They live in warm, shallow areas where the sea grass grows. This area includes the north coast of Australia, and in other countries in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Dugongs are more closely related to elephants than to other sea creatures. Their closest aquatic relative is the manatee, a fresh water species found in America and West Africa.
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