What does an Amazonian manatee look like?
The Amazonian manatees colour is brownish grey and they have thick, wrinkled skin, often with coarse hair, or ‘whiskers’. Its main predator is man. The three species of manatees and the closely related Dugong, are unique in that they are the only plant-eating marine mammals in modern times.
What are the physical features of manatees?
Manatees have split lips and hairy, creased faces. They are fish-shaped, and have hairless skin, with paddle-like forelimbs and horizontal tail which is broadly rounded and shovel-like, not divided into two lobes as in the dugong. They have mobile flippers which can be used as hands.
How big is an Amazonian manatee?
2.8 metres
Amazonian manatees are smaller, reaching a length of 2.8 metres (9.2 feet) and a weight of 480 kg (1,056 pounds), and, unlike the other two species, they are darker gray in colour, commonly have a white patch on the chest, and lack nails on the flippers.
How much does the Amazonian manatee weigh?
420 kgAdult
Amazonian manatee/Mass
Are Amazonian manatees endangered?
Vulnerable (Population decreasing)
Amazonian manatee/Conservation status
What are some cool facts about manatees?
12 Surprising Facts About Manatees
- Manatee comes from a Carib word.
- Manatees are the ocean’s largest herbivores.
- Manatees can swim up to 20 mph.
- There are three species of manatee.
- Sailors mistook manatees for mermaids.
- Manatees can hold their breath underwater for 15 to 20 minutes.
Can manatees walk on land?
Manatees never go on land.
How long can an Amazonian manatee live?
After the calf is born, it will begin to eat while staying with its mother for 12 – 18 months. Two individuals lived 12.5 years in captivity. Wild individuals have a lifespan of about 30 years.
Is manatee skin sensitive?
Previous experiments have revealed that the manatee’s whiskers are extremely sensitive—each whisker can discriminate between textures with about twice the dexterity of an experienced reader of Braille.
Is manatee a fish?
The manatee is a large marine mammal with an egg-shaped head, flippers and a flat tail. Manatees are also known as sea cows. This name is apt, due to their large stature; slow, lolling nature; and propensity to be eaten by other animals.
Is a manatee an animal or a mammal?
Manatees are aquatic mammals with voracious appetites-spending up to 8 hours a day grazing. Manatees are sometimes called sea cows, and their languid pace lends merit to the comparison.
What are the adaptations of an Amazonian manatee?
The Amazonian manatee has the smallest degree of rostral deflection (25° to 41°) among sirenians, an adaptation to feed closer to the water surface . It is both nocturnal and diurnal and lives its life almost entirely underwater. Only its nostrils protrude from the surface of the water while it searches river and lake bottoms for vegetation.
What do Amazonian manatees eat?
Amazonian Manatee Diet. The Amazonian manatee is a herbivore that feeds on aquatic vegetation near lake edges, such as aquatic grasses, and floating vegetation such as water lilies. Captive adults daily consume from 9 – 15 kilograms (20 – 33 pounds) of leafy vegetables.
What is the habitat of Amazonian manatee?
Amazonian manatees are distributed throughout the Amazon Basin covering an area of approximately 2.7 million sq miles (7 million sq km) in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Their habitat includes the murky waters of rivers and lagoons and nutrient rich flooded forests . It is the only manatee that occurs exclusively in freshwater.
