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West Indian manatee - TRICHECHUS MANATUS
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Manatee": "Manatee" is a South American Spanish word, possibly related to the Cariban "manati" which means "breast." Possibly because breasts were rare on the open seas, these animals were mistaken for mermaids by sailors of yore. Such temptresses who lured sailors to their death among the costal rocks were called "sirens" since the days of the Iliad and before; and thus their Order name, Sirenia.
Location: Common in Florida and other tropical and subtropical regions of the New World Atlantic Ocean.
Habitat: Aquatic. Rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters.
Description: The manatee is gray with pink patches, and the front feet have claws. The tail is flattened horizontally, as with whales, and it is spatula-shaped. The body ia covered with scaftered hairs ard it has thick whiskers on the face, The eyes are small and can be sealed water-tight by means of a sphincter muscle. The ear openings are also small. As its teeth wear out in the front, they are replaced from the rear, as in elephants. Manatees grow from 8 to 15 feet long, and weigh up to about 1100 lbs.
Behavior: The manatee is a herbivorous mammal. In saltwater it feeds on sea grasses, while in the rivers it lives on various aquatic plants. Generally, the manatee is a solitary animal, but seeing small groups of two to six individuals is not uncommon. The manatee spends most of its time eating and sleeping. It breathes through its nose (it is incapable of breathing through its mouth) and only the tip of the snout is above the water surface.
Reproduction: Breeding appears to occur throughout the year, with mating taking place in about 8 ft or less of water. The gestation period is probably about 400 days. The female usually gives birth to a single young, but occasionally two. She suckles the pup while in a horizontal position. The young manatee will stay with its mother for 1 to 2 years.
Go to the Siren Page to learn more about these unique animals.
Go to the Dugong for the only other Siren listed in America Zoo.
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