Wildlife Biologist, Midcontinent Ecological Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado. background-size: 26px 26px; Whether they had been at sea for too long or it was a trick of the light, we now know that many of these encounters were with manatees.

It’s believed that manatees actually evolved from ancient, Manatees are, in some ways, thought to be able to give. The brain is very small in comparison with those of other mammals of similar body size.

Manatees, like their elephant relatives, continuously replace their teeth throughout their lives with the older teeth at the front falling out and new teeth growing in at the back of their mouth. The manatee (sea cow), which lives entirely in the water, has been officially identified only on the Sangha tributary but appears to have given rise to some curious legends on the lower Congo, including its association with a creature called Mami Wata (a kind…, and dugongs and manatees (order Sirenia); all belong to a group of primitive ungulates called uranotherians. Vote Now! Fossils have been found that are more than 60 million years old. For example the Amazonian Manatee will never go into salt water. 5. Manatees eat mainly sea grass found on the ocean floor. width: auto; Public Dolphin Interactive Program Assistance, Marine Mammal Care & Basic Training Course, Cognitive & Behavioral Marine Mammal Research Course, Advanced Marine Mammal Training & Enrichment Course, Program Reservations Phone: +1 (305) 289-0002, General Information Email: drc@dolphins.org. Cookie Policy margin: 0 1rem 0 0; a.twitter-follow { Here are 9 fun facts about manatees that will make you appreciate them more than ever. 2. The Amaz… Keep up-to-date on: © 2020 Smithsonian Magazine. There are three species of manatee: the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis); the West Indian manatee, or the American manatee (Trichechus manatus); and the African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis). 6. The manatee’s large lips are prehensile and studded with specialized sensory bristles and hairs (vibrissae) for discriminating between and manipulating food plants. Their front flippers help them steer, or sometimes crawl, through shallow water. Sexual maturity occurs as young as three years, with gestation taking about a year or slightly longer. } Warm water is a must for the West Indian and West African manatee species. A fourth dwarf manatee species was described in the mid-2000s, but this claim was called into question and it is believed to actually be a juvenile Amazonian manatee. The average manatee is likely to weigh five or six times the bulk of an average human being. The manatee spends approximately half of each day sleeping in the water.

Female manatees usually have one calf every two to five years and the calf then stays and nurses for two years. background-image: url('/wp-content/themes/cassiopeia/assets/icons/twitter-icon.svg'); Fossils indicate that Tubulidentata…. display: inline-block; Required fields are marked *. This means that they do not eat any fish or crustaceans.

Manatees can travel from fresh to salt water without any problems. Can Scientists Stop the Plague of the Spotted Lanternfly? Age estimates based on growth rings in ear bones indicate life spans of up to 59 years, and at least one manatee has survived more than 69 years in captivity. Take a look at our fact file below for more information on what to expect from the humble manatee. A West Indian manatee is thought to be able to live up to 60 years of age, possibly longer. Manatees also engage in tactile contact (touch reception) by using sensory hairs scattered across the body, especially the hairs and bristles of the muzzle. The Antillean subspecies is very similar but is distinguishable from the Florida manatee by measurement differences of cranial characters between the species.

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