Dugongs

There is still a lot to learn from the Dugong. Most of the information we have on the dugong was derived from dead specimens and from the very limited contact in the wild. Breeding generally occurs throughout the year but it commonly peaks during the season when seagrass are most abundant. Only very few matings have been reported and observed and more observations are need to fully define the mating behavior. Gestation last for 13 months and a single calf is born. It is believed that dugongs seek shallow areas for calving. Majority of births occurs when seagrass growth is at its peak. Babies start muching on the seagrass while they suckle and the calf lactates until about 18 months. During this period, a strong bond between mother and calf is formed. The calf stays close to the mother at all times and a dugong of up to 1.8 m in length still suckles from the mother. Calving occurs every 3 to 7 years only. Dugongs cannot stay submerged for long periods of time and need to constantly breathe since they are mammals. Dugons swim at a very slow pace about 5 kilometers per hour, though they have been know to reach speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour. This suggests that they have very few natural predators. Dugongs are frequently on the prowl for more food but have also been know to return to the same feeding grounds. Some Dugongs have been know to travel 200 kilometers in search of food. Dugongs feed on a wide range of seagrasses and consume large amounts of seagrass. This is due to the seagrasses relatively low nutrient value. They feed on the whole plant, including the Rhizome and the roots. The mouth of the dugong is pointed townward to allow them to feed off the sea bottom even when their body is in a horizontal position. Dugongs in the wild can be seen singly, mother and calf pairs, small groups, or in a herd of up to a hundred of animals. They are presumed to be social animals. These sightings have never been known in modern times here in the Philippines. Habitat and Distribution All the Dugong needs is warm water, abundant seagrasses and shelter from rough sea conditions. These conditions are all present in the Philippines and other parts of Asia and Australia. They are also found within the Indian Ocean nd West Pacific Oceans. The Dugon population is said to be at an estimate of 20,000 to 30,000 though recent estimates in Australias coast alone is about 80,000 making the population of the Dugongs in the world much higher than previous estimates. In the Philippines Dugongs were supposedly to have thrived all over the country. They were supposedly found in the Zambales Region in the north to the Bicol Region in the South. Even Manila Bay was supposed to harbor some Dugongs in the early 70's. They were also known to be found in the Central Philippine islands of mindoro, Romblon, and Masbate. They have also been found out to thrive in the Visayas region from Cebu, Bohol, Samar and leyete, plus the other offshore islands in the Visayas region. They have also been know to occur in Mindanao where archealogical findings in Butuan from 1981 to 1990 yielded dugong ribs dating from the 9th to the 12th centuries. Citings have also been known to occur in Southern mindanao in the General Santos area. Though a lot of these places used to harbor dugongs, there have been less and less citings of dugongs in many of these places. In fact in most of these places, only the old timers are familiar with the dugong. They are now only found in Palawan with relative reliability. Conservation efforts in the Philippines are currently being implemented by the DENR, Toba aquarium in Japan, and Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas. Though the Dugongs has a far way to go before being declared safe sound. They need everyones help to survive.

We got our info from http://www.yahooligans.com.


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