Species of the Week

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Species of the Week
The Manatee
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Where do they live?

• Warm water of shallow rivers, bays, estuaries
  coastal waters
• Floridas coastal waters during winter months
• As far north as Carolinas as far west as
  Louisiana during summer months
• Spotty distribution along Central America
  northern South America

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What is their niche?

• They are a migratory species
• Manatees spend their time eating, resting, and in
  travel
• Graze for food along bottom at the surface
• Consume 10-15 of their body weight daily
• Rest submerged at bottom or jut below surface
• They are herbivores that eat marine fresh water
  plants
• They are gentle and slow moving
• They have no natural enemies
• They do not have rivals for food and territory

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What are their adaptations?

• Flexible front limbs steer as they swim
• Large, paddle tail push through water
• Breathing method lets more fresh oxygen into
  lungs
• Nostrils close tightly when they dive
• Marching molars teeth move forward as the
  front teeth wear down
• Large split upper lip sides move at separate
  times to get food into mouth without hands
• Ridged pads behind lips break down food before
  the molars grind it

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What is threatening the Manatees survival?

• Most mortalities are human related
• Collisions with watercraft
• Canal locks and flood control structures
• Ingestion of fish hooks litter
• Entanglement in crab trap lines
• Habitat loss
• Only about 3,000 left today!!!

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Distribution Of Manatees Their Relatives

This map shows the ranges of the 5 living species
of manatees and dugongs. Florida Manatee
Southeast coast of United States Antillean
Manatee Caribbean and coast of Central America
West African Manatee Coast of Western Africa
Amazonian Manatee Amazon Dugong Indian Ocean
- Coasts of Eastern Africa, India, Asia, and
Northern Australia
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What is being done to help?

• A treaty was passed to stop commercial trade
• Illegal to harass, hunt, capture, or kill
• Manatee Recovery Plan
• Save the Manatee Club
• Florida has fines of 1000 and prison time (up to
  60 days) Federal conviction has fines of 50,000
  and 1 year jail time

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Manatee Pictures