Manatees swimming in the shallows at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Manatees do not possess the neck vertebra that most other mammals have, meaning that they must turn their entire bodies if they want to look around. Manatees can’t turn their heads like we do. Because they are such slow-moving animals most of the time, algae and barnacles can often be found on the backs of manatees.Īntillian manatee /Manatí Antillano. Manatees usually mull around at about 5 miles an hour, but can motor up to 15 miles per hour in short bursts. Manatee resting at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Their diet is a large part of why manatees are such good indicators of an ecosystem’s health when manatees are thriving, it means that their immediate environment is flourishing with life. Manatees are herbivores, with a diet of more than 60 species of underwater, shoreline and floating plants, but primarily eat seagrass along the sea floor. Manatees eat more than a 10th of their weight in food every day. Each species of manatee is a member of the sirenius family, which shares a common ancestor with the elephant, aardvark and small gopher-like hyrax.įlorida manatee swimming at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Manatees are more closely related to the elephant than they are to other marine creatures. Manatees surfacing at Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse ONA in Florida. When it is exerting great amounts of energy, a manatee may surface as often as every 30 seconds. However, it depends on a manatee’s level of activity: when it is resting, the aquatic mammal can hold its breath for up to 20 minutes. Manatees never leave the water but typically come up for air every 5 minutes. Manatees swimming under sun at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. During his first journey to the Americas, Christopher Columbus caught a glimpse of three mermaids, writing that “they are not so beautiful as they are said to be, for their faces had some masculine traits.” The cow-like creatures are thought to have inspired mermaid legends. Because of their reliance on the health of their habitat, manatees often act as a signal of their environment’s well-being.Įxplore some of the most important (and amusing) facts about manatees:ġ. These amazing creatures fulfill a unique niche by serving as indicator species for ecosystems across the United States.
No matter what time of year it is, manatees deserve to be celebrated. What exactly do these gentle giants do for the environment and why are they so different from every other sea animal? November is Manatee Awareness Month, and for many it might inspire a number of questions about these amazing mammals.
0 kommentar(er)
