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Dugong

Dugong line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Dugong or Bearcat full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The drawing of the Dugong was completed on 9.18.2011. Some years back I had illustrated a book about some ocean animal, some of which were the dugong. Since then I had intended to go back a create a more finished drawing of this wonderful aquatic mammal. The wonderful expression on these animals are as endearing as any other animal on earth.

Information about the Dugong:

The Dugong is a large marine mammal native to the warm water oceans near the coastlines of the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia. They are one of only four extant species of the order of Sirenia and the only living member of the genus Dugong. They are not closely related to other marine mammals, and are instead more closely related to elephants. They are herbivores, feeding on sea grasses and other plant matter in shallow waters. They closely resemble their relative the manatee, however the tail of the manatee is like a paddle, whereas the tail of the dugong is forked like that of a dolphin. These gentle mammals were hunted to near extinction for centuries, but all trade and hunt has been banned in nearly all parts of the world. They are very long lived animals, perhaps living some 70 years.