Last week we talked about some of the similarities between dugongs and manatees. This week we're going to look more closely at manatees like Penelope!
by ASCOM - Prefeitura de Votuporanga There are 3 species of manatee- Amazonian manatees, West Indian Manatees and African Manatees.
Mantees can live in both fresh and salt water.
Manatees migrate to fresh water in winter because it is warmer.
Mantees can't survive temperature below 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius).
by USFWS Headquarters Manatees have round paddle like tails.
Manatees replace their molars throughout their life. As they wear out, they are replaced by new ones growing from the back of their mouth.
Manatees are herbivores and eat algae, mangroves, and turtle grass.
Manatees can eat 1/10th of their body weight in 24 hours.
Manatees can eat 1/10th of their body weight in 24 hours.
Female manatees can have young at 3 years of age and give birth every 2-3 years.
Female manatees grow to be bigger than the males.
Manatees live 50-60 years in the wild.
Manatees are generally solitary, but are sometimes spotted in herds of up to 20.
Their lungs of a manatees are 2/3 the length of their body. They are flat and long and are positioned lengthwise along their back.
To learn about dugongs
For more animal facts check out our other Wildlife Wednesday posts