Dugong Endangered Animals

The dugong is one of only four surviving sirenian mammals in the world and on the Endangered Species List. Dugongs are grey mammals and live in the ocean waters around Australia, India and New South Wales.

  1. Dugong Characteristics

    • Sea grass is the favorite food of the Dugong.

      Dugongs are on average 10 feet long and their adult weight is 881 lbs.The dugong is almost exclusively herbivorous. Their staple diet is sea grass, which is found in warm shallow waters, but they will each algae when necessary. When sea grass and algae are scarce, they'll eat mussels, crabs and tunicates. The lifespan of the dugong can be up to 70 years.

    Habitat &Breeding

    • The dugong seeks shelter in ocean storms from predators.

      The dugong lives in the tropics and sub-tropical areas of the world. They prefer shallow coastal waters where sea grass is abundant. Dugongs seek shelter from big waves and storms in shallow waters. Every three to seven years a female will give birth to a calf, which reaches full maturity between 9 and 17 years. The dugong is easy prey for sharks, crocodiles and killer whales. It swims slowly, and, given its large size, has little defense against predators.

    Endangered Species Listing

    • Bad weather and man have both put the dugong on the Endangered Species List.

      Most dugongs live in the waters of Australia. The Australian government petitioned to have the dugong placed on the Endangered Species List. Man-made development projects have eroded coastal waters of sea grass. Floods and cyclones in the tropics and sub-tropics have also destroyed sea grass beds putting the dugong in jeopardy. Entanglement with fishing nets and collisions with boats increase the mortality of the mammal.

    Conservation Status

    • Australia is the global leader in preserving the life of the dugong.

      The Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 has protected dugongs which means it is a marine and migratory species protected worldwide. Throughout the tropics and subtropics, the dugong's existence is threatened. The Australian government is finding solutions to boat accidents and net entanglement, but disappearing sea grass beds is also a major issue. A habitat threat abatement plan developed in 2003 addresses the affect of marine debris on the dugong's feeding grounds, but pollution still continues today in coastal areas.