Both manatees and dugongs are mammals that live in the ocean. Their living environment is relatively similar, and they are basically active in diving.In terms of their classification, manatees and dugongs are mammals in the class Mammalia and the order Sirenia.From the appearance point of view, the two are quite similar, and the body shape is similar.Therefore, many people will confuse the two and think that they may be the same animal.In fact, no, the two do not refer to the same animal, the difference between them is relatively large, many aspects are not the same.
1. Genera: Although both manatees and dugongs belong to Mammalia and Sirenia, their families and genera are different.Among them, manatee belongs to manatee family and manatee genus, while dugong belongs to dugong family and dugong genus, so they are two different animals and can not be confused.
2. Tail differences: The tails of manatees and dugongs are very different.The manatee's tail appears to be very broad, very large, and not forked; Dugongs, on the other hand, have a bifurcated tail, much like the tail fin of some fish.
3. Wrinkles: Wrinkles on the skin of manatees and dugongs are different.The skin of manatees is rough, wrinkled and sometimes covered with seaweed, which makes them look dirty and ugly.Dugongs, however, have less wrinkled skin and look better.
4. Nostril position difference: The position of the two nostrils is also different, specifically, the distance above the head is different.Manatees have nostrils farther from the top of their heads, and dugongs have nostrils closer to the top of their heads.
5. Toenail differences: Another key feature of manatees is that they have toenails on their forelimbs, but dugongs do not.
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