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Manatee are aquatic
mammals.
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Manatee
Dolphin Classification:
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Sirenia
Family:
Trichechidae
Genus:
Trichechus
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Other Names:
Sea Cow, Dugong
Sub-species
of Manatee
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Amazonian
Manatee:
Trichechus
inunguis
West Indian
Manatee:
Trichechus
manatus
African Manatee:
Trichechus
senegalensis
*Dwarf
Manatee:
Trichechus
"pygmaeus"
There is
not agreement
on the Dwarf
Manatee being
a separate
species.
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Size: The
mantee weighs from
440 to 1,300 lbs,
and are 8 to 13
feet in length.
Habitat: There
are 3 species of
manatee. The different
species are distinguished
by their location.
One manatee population
ranges along the
North American east
coast from Florida
to Brazil. Other
species inhabit
the Amazon River
and the west coast
and rivers of Africa.
The waters manatees
inhabit are usually
shallow, slow-moving
rivers, estuaries,
saltwater bays,
and canals. The
area manatees are
found are usually
lush with seagrass
beds or flourishing
freshwater vegetation.
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Manatee
in Other Languages:
Albanian:
Lope Deti
Dutch:
Zeekoe
Finnish:
Manaatti
French:
Lamantin
German:
Manati
Latin:
Manatus
Polish:
Manat
Portuguese:
Peixe-boi
/ Manati
Romanian:
Lamantin
Spanish:
Manati
Swedish:
Sjoko
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Diet: Manatees
are mostly herbivorous
marine mammals.
Manatees feed on
marine and freshwater
plants. Manatees
will consume up
to 100 lbs of vegetation
in a single day
or up to 10-15%
of their body weight
in vegetation daily.
Senses: Manatees
have well-developed
eyes. In the water,
they can detect
objects from tens
of meters away.
Manatees are very
tactile, and seem
to have a well developed
sense of touch.
Description:
Manatees are
large, bulky, gray
aquatic mammals
with tapered bodies
and a flat, paddle-shaped
tail.
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Communication:
Manatees are
vocal. They
issue chirps,
whistles, and
squeaks.. |
Did
You
Know?
Manatees
eat
over
60
different
species
of
aquatic
and
semi-aquatic
plants.
.
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Behavior: Manatees
are a migratory
species. They are
nonaggressive, and
nonterritorial creatures.
Gestation:
Manatees carry their
young for about
a year.
Birth: Manatee
calves are 60 and
70 lbs at birth
and they measure
approximately 3-4
feet. Manatee mothers
must help their
calves to the surface
so that they can
take their first
breath, but the
newborn manatees
can typically swim
on their own, only
an hour after birth.
Calves:
Manatee mothers
nurse their young
for 1-2 years.
Sexual Maturity:
Manatees sexually
mature around the
age of 5.
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Life Span:
Manatees live
an average of
50-60 years
in the wild.
The largest
threat to manatees
are powerboats.
Manatees are
slow, near-surface
swimmers, and
the number of
collisions with
motorboats is
a danger to
their survival. |
Did
You
Know?
The
closest
living
relatives
to
the
manatee
include
the
elephant
and
the
hyrax.
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Social Structure:
Manatees are
best described as
semi-social. Manatees
are usually seen
alone, in pairs,
or in small groups
six or less.
Athleticism:
Manatees tend to
be slow moving creatures,
but they have been
known to swim at
bursts of up to
19 mph. The typical
speed of a manatee
is closer to 3-5
mph.
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