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West Indian
Manatee
Manatees are
big, gentle mammals that live in warm ocean water and shallow
rivers.
 They have flippers and tails, and they breathe through their noses. West Indian manatees live in the Atlantic Ocean along the beaches of the southern United States and on the coasts of Mexico and Central America. Manatees aren't fat! They're big because their bodies are full of a big stomach and long intestines. They need these to digest about 100 pounds of water plants every day. It takes seven days for food to go all the way through a manatee's body.  Manatees may be very smart. We don't know how to test them yet, but scientists know some things about their brains and how they work. Manatees have a lot of the special stuff in the brain that thinks. The biggest manatees are up to 13 feet long and weigh 3500 pounds--that's as much as 71 eight-year-old kids all together! Most West Indian manatees are about 11 feet long and between 800 pounds (16 kids) and 1500 pounds (30 kids). Eight-year-old kids weigh 49.25 pounds (on average). Manatees swim, eat, and play all day long. Sometimes two or more manatees play follow the leader--swimming around together and doing exactly the same things. Manatees eat plants that grow in water--sea grasses, hyacinth, water lettuce, and algae. They accidentally eat a lot of sand, too, and this makes their teeth wear out fast. Don't worry! Manatees grow new molars in the backs of their mouths to replace old ones near the front. As the old teeth fall out, new ones march forward to replace them. These are called marching molars! Manatees are curious, friendly, and they make lots of sounds--squeaks, squeals, whistles, and chirps. Some scientists think they may be talking to each other! Manatees are affectionate. They like to kiss and nuzzle and hug, and mothers sometimes hold their babies with their flippers. |
