How big does a Dugong get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Dugong (Dugong dugon) reaches an average size of 2.55 meter (8′ 5″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 70 years, they grow from 23.48 kg (51.76 lbs) to 295 kg (650.36 lbs). A Dugong has 1 babies at once. The Dugong (genus: Dugong) is a member of the family Dugongidae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The dugong (; Dugong dugon) is a medium-sized marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century. The dugong is the only strictly herbivorous marine mammal.The dugong is the only sirenian in its range, which spans the waters of some 40 countries and territories throughout the Indo-West Pacific. The dugong is largely dependent on seagrass communities for subsistence and is thus restricted to the coastal habitats which support seagrass meadows, with the largest dugong concentrations typically occurring in wide, shallow, protected areas such as bays, mangrove channels, the waters of large inshore islands and inter-reefal waters. The northern waters of Australia between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay are believed to be the dugong’s contemporary stronghold.Like all modern sirenians, the dugong has a fusiform body with no dorsal fin or hind limbs. The forelimbs or flippers are paddle-like. The dugong is easily distinguished from the manatees by its fluked, dolphin-like tail, but also possesses a unique skull and teeth. Its snout is sharply downturned, an adaptation for feeding in benthic seagrass communities. The molar teeth are simple and peg-like unlike the more elaborate molar dentition of manatees.The dugong has been hunted for thousands of years for its meat and oil. Traditional hunting still has great cultural significance in several countries in its modern range, particularly northern Australia and the Pacific Islands. The dugong’s current distribution is fragmented, and many populations are believed to be close to extinction. The IUCN lists the dugong as a species vulnerable to extinction, while the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species limits or bans the trade of derived products. Despite being legally protected in many countries, the main causes of population decline remain anthropogenic and include fishing-related fatalities, habitat degradation and hunting. With its long lifespan of 70 years or more, and slow rate of reproduction, the dugong is especially vulnerable to extinction.
Animals of the same family as a Dugong
We found other animals of the Dugongidae family:
- Steller’s sea cow with a size of 7.63 meter (25′ 1″)
Animals with the same size as a Dugong
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Dugong:
- Atlantic white-sided dolphin with a size of 2.29 meter (7′ 6″)
- White rhinoceros with a size of 2.59 meter (8′ 6″)
- Dwarf sperm whale with a size of 2.16 meter (7′ 2″)
- Pacific white-sided dolphin with a size of 2.21 meter (7′ 3″)
- Bearded seal with a size of 2.3 meter (7′ 7″)
- South American sea lion with a size of 2.12 meter (7′ 0″)
- Steller sea lion with a size of 2.7 meter (8′ 11″)
- Ross seal with a size of 2.07 meter (6′ 10″)
- Baird’s tapir with a size of 2.2 meter (7′ 3″)
- Grey seal with a size of 2.08 meter (6′ 10″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Dugong
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (1) as a Dugong:
- Southern muriqui
- Blyth’s horseshoe bat
- Nyala
- White-footed sportive lemur
- Black-crested Sumatran langur
- Polar bear
- Angolan free-tailed bat
- Brown woolly monkey
- Humboldt’s white-fronted capuchin
- Anoa
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Dugong
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Dugong:
- Gray whale with an average maximal age of 77 years
- Berardius with an average maximal age of 71 years
- Sei whale with an average maximal age of 74 years
- African bush elephant with an average maximal age of 80 years
- Baikal seal with an average maximal age of 56 years
- Baikal seal with an average maximal age of 56 years
- Chimpanzee with an average maximal age of 60 years
- Sperm whale with an average maximal age of 77 years
- Short-finned pilot whale with an average maximal age of 63 years
- Horse with an average maximal age of 62 years
Animals with the same weight as a Dugong
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Dugong dugon:
- Burchell’s zebra with a weight of 278.08 kilos (613.06 lbs)
- Baird’s tapir with a weight of 292.39 kilos (644.61 lbs)
- Mediterranean monk seal with a weight of 294.94 kilos (650.23 lbs)
- Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin with a weight of 280 kilos (617.29 lbs)
- Hooded seal with a weight of 278.95 kilos (614.98 lbs)
- Malayan tapir with a weight of 309.61 kilos (682.57 lbs)
- Takin with a weight of 292.76 kilos (645.42 lbs)
- Red deer with a weight of 240.43 kilos (530.06 lbs)
- Kiang with a weight of 280.57 kilos (618.55 lbs)
- Muskox with a weight of 312.67 kilos (689.32 lbs)