Steller's Sea Cow — printable fact sheet

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Steller's Sea Cow

Hydrodamalis gigas

Steller's Sea Cow was a massive, herbivorous marine mammal that once inhabited the cold waters of the North Pacific around the Commander Islands. First described by German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller in 1741, this gentle giant could reach up to 9 meters (30 feet) in length …

Classification

Mammal

Family

Dugongidae

Habitat

Coastal marine waters, particularly around kelp forests

Diet

Herbivore

Conservation status

Extinct

Lifespan

Unknown (estimated up to 30 years)

Weight

8,000–10,000 kg

Scientific name

Hydrodamalis gigas

Did you know?

Steller's Sea Cow went extinct less than three decades after it was first discovered, making it one of the fastest documented extinctions of a large mammal due to human activity.
Steller's Sea Cows were so buoyant they could not fully submerge and spent their lives floating at the surface. They formed close-knit social groups and were observed caring for injured herd members. Their thick, rough skin was described as being as tough as tree bark.

What I learned

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