Find out Facts about Manatees if you want to know the herbivorous marine animals. They are included as aquatic animals. They are members of genus Trichechus and family Trichechidae. The common name for manatees is sea cow. There are three living manatees, which include Trichechus senegalensis, or West African manatee, Trichechus manatus or West Indian manatee, Trichechus inunguis or Amazonian manatee.
Facts about Manatees 1: the length and weight
Manatee has the weight of 1,300 lb or 590 kg. The length is measured at 13.1 feet or 4 metres.
Facts about Manatees 2: sea cow
Manatees are often called sea cows because they exhibit the cow-like behaviors. They are peaceful when living in the sea. When they are in tropical sea, they will graze for water plants.
Facts about Manatees
Facts about Manatees 3: the baby manatees
The average mass of baby manatees reaches 66 lb or 30 kg. The length of manatees is measured at 9.2 to 9.8 feet. The weight reaches 880 to 1,210 lb. The female manatees have heavier and larger body.
Facts about Manatees 4: gathering the food
Manatees will gather food using the lips. They are also used during the communications, social interaction and eating.
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Facts about Manatees 5: the solitary animal
Most populations of manatees are solitary animals. In some cases, a receptive female is followed by the male manatees and the young is raised by the mother manatees.
Manatee
Facts about Manatees 6: sleeping
Sleeping is the common activity conducted by manatees almost half of the day. The remaining period is used by the animals to graze for food in the shallow water at the depth of 3.3 to 6.6 feet.
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Facts about Manatees 7: the life span
The life span of Florida subspecies of manatees reach 60 years.
Facts about Manatees 8: swimming
Manatees have the swimming speed of 3 to 5 miles per hour or 5 to 8 km per hour. In a short burst, it may swim with the speed of 20 miles per hour or 30 km per hour.
Manatees
Facts about Manatees 9: reproductive cycle
The gestation period of manatees, reach 12 months. The animal reproduces once for every two years.
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Facts about Manatees 10: the herbivorous animals
Manatees are considered as herbivorous animals, which consume different kinds of freshwater plants and saltwater plants such as manatee grass, sea grasses, mangrove leaves, water celery, hydrilla, water lettuce, and sea clover.
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