Manatee

The Manatees are large aquatic and herbivorous marine mammals. They are also known as sea cows. There are three species of Manatee in the world. They are Amazonian manatee, West African manatee and West Indian manatee.

About Manatee

The manatee measures 4 metres in length. They weigh around 600 kilograms. They have paddle-like flippers. The manatee are herbivores. They eat 60 different saltwater and freshwater plants. An adult manatee eats up to 10% to 15% of its body weight. They graze up to seven hours a day. They inhabit shallow and marshy coastal areas. They are found in Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, West Africa and Amazon basin.

Threats

The main causes of deaths of Manatees are habitat destruction. Their curious nature seldom leads to violent collisions with propeller driven ships and boats. Apart from these, red tides are also major threats to the manatee. Red tide is the discoloration of sea surface due to algal blooms. Also, the manatees are entangled in fishing gear, water control structures such as floodgates, navigation locks, etc.

Conservation

The manatee has been listed as “Vulnerable” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The African manatee are listed under Appendix I of the CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species). By this the commercial trade of manatee is banned.

Habitats

The manatees are spread in the rivers of Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sea, West Africa and Amazon basin. The manatees in Amazon rivers are fresh water manatees. They cannot survive in salt water. On the other hand, the manatees in west Africa live in coastal marine and estuarine habitats.

Migration

The manatees migrate seasonally. They migrate to adapt to changing water temperatures. The west Indian manatees, found in Florida migrate to the south during colder months.

Flippers of Manatee

The manatees use their flippers to walk on the bottom of the water body. They also use their flippers to dig for plants and roots.

Reproduction

The manatee breeds once in two years.

Intelligence

The manatees are intelligent animals. They have good long-term memory. They demonstrate task learning and discrimination abilities similar to dolphins.

Manatee Awareness Month

It is celebrated in Florida. The Manatee Awareness month is celebrated during November.