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The manatee's tail is paddle-shaped, and is the clearest visible difference between manatees and dugongs; a dugong tail is fluked, similar in shape to that of a whale. The manatee is unusual among mammals in having just six cervical vertebrae , [ 12 ] a number that may be due to mutations in the homeotic genes . [ 13 ]
The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the Eastern United States to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it feeds on underwater plants and uses its whiskers to navigate.
The African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), also known as the West African manatee, is a species of manatee that inhabits much of Western Africa – from Senegal to Angola. [3] It is the only manatee species to be found in the Old World .
The dugong (/ ˈ d (j) uː ɡ ɒ ŋ /; Dugong dugon) is a marine mammal.It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees.It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.
Manatees May Be Recent Arrivals To Florida, Study Suggest. Despite the chilly start to the year in the Sunshine State, the impacts pale in comparison to the winter of 2009-2010, which brought the ...
The manatee is protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, which states: "It is unlawful for any person, at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb ...
Manatees make seasonal movements synchronized with the flood regime of the Amazon Basin. [7] They are found in flooded forests and meadows during the flood season, when food is abundant. [7] The Amazonian manatee has the smallest degree of rostral deflection (25° to 41°) among sirenians, an adaptation to feed closer to the water surface. [18]
The manatee may be resting and may surface without being aware of your presence. Noise and activity may startle the animal awake, which may put it in harm’s way if it is frightened and leaves ...