# Dugong Dugongs are gentle sea creatures that love to munch on sea grass. They are friendly and often called 'sea cows' because of their shape. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low ![Dugong](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424247/objects/4519.jpg) ## Appearance The Dugong is a large, greyish-brown marine mammal with a smooth, thick skin and a broad, fluke-like tail similar to a dolphin's. It has short, paddle-like front flippers and a unique, downward-pointing snout covered in stiff whiskers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Sirenia - **Family:** Dugongidae - **Genus:** Dugong ## Interesting facts - Baby dugongs, called calves, stay with their mothers for up to two years! - Dugongs are the only marine mammal that eats \*only\* plants! - Their closest land relatives are elephants and manatees! - They are called 'sea cows' because they graze on underwater grasses! ## Special abilities - **Whisker Feeler:** Dugong has stiff sensory whiskers that help them find tasty seagrass in murky or dark underwater environments. - **Seagrass Scrubber:** Dugong can use their tough, downward-pointing snout to dig up nutritious seagrass roots from the ocean floor. - **Energy Saver:** Dugong can glide efficiently through the water with their dolphin-like fluke, conserving energy for their plant-based diet. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 240-400 cm - **Weight:** 230-500 kg - **Lifespan:** 50-70 years - **Speed:** 22 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1 - **Gestation:** 365-425 days ## Diet & Feeding Gentle giants that munch on vast amounts of delicious underwater seagrass. - **Age differences:** Calves rely solely on mother's milk for the first few months, gradually introducing seagrass until fully weaned around 1.5-2 years of age. - **Primary Foods:** Halophila ovalis, Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea serrulata, Zostera capensis - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Tiger Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tiger-shark) (*Galeocerdo cuvier*) — Large sharks prey on young or weak dugongs. - **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Orcas, or 'killer whales', are known predators of dugongs. - **Eats:** Sickle-leaved Seagrass (*Thalassia hemprichii*) — A primary food source, providing essential nutrients for dugongs. - **Eats:** Paddleweed Seagrass (*Halophila ovalis*) — Dugongs extensively graze on this common and nutritious seagrass. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Dugongs are gentle and not dangerous, but it's best to watch them from a distance in the ocean. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Dugong? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Dugong? 240-400 cm ### How much does Dugong weigh? 230-500 kg ### How long does Dugong live? 50-70 years ### How fast can Dugong move? 22 km/h ### What does Dugong eat? Gentle giants that munch on vast amounts of delicious underwater seagrass. ### How does Dugong hunt? Grazing ### How many babies does Dugong usually have? 1 ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Dugong: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dugong)