What do manatees feel like

Fish and Wildlife Service and are protected by law. Along with the West Indian manatee, the West African manatee Trichechus senegalensis , and the Amazonian manatee Trichechus inunguis belong to the order Sirenia , which also includes the dugong Dugong dugon and the extinct Steller's sea cow Hydrodamalis gigas.

Manatees usually surface every three to five minutes to breathe. With a single breath, manatees can replace 90 percent of the air in their lungs; humans, by comparison, replace just 10 percent. Back in , a woman was arrested in Florida for riding a manatee. Why the drastic measure? Yes, that includes riding one. Most animals have hearts that come to a point on the bottom.

Manatees are threatened by a number of things, including toxic algae a. Don't worry if you see a manatee go under water and not come directly back to the surface.

They often move under water and surface at a different location out of eyesight. When manatees swim they create oval shaped ripples referred to as footprints. This is a great way to spot manatees, especially since they camouflage so well with their surroundings. Keep an eye open for manatee footprints. Manatees are slow moving mammals that frequent the water's surface. Algae thrive in wet areas with lots of sunlight, which makes the manatee's back an ideal breeding ground for algae.

Would you like to have algae on your body? It may look uncomfortable to us, but manatees don't seem to mind the slimy stuff. Algae may help to block out harmful rays from the sun. Don't forget your algae next time you go catch some sun! The relationship between a mother and baby is the strongest social bond created by manatees.

A mother manatee will carry her baby for about 12 months before it is born Powell When born, the baby will weigh nearly 66 pounds 30 kg. A baby manatee is called a calf. The calf will stay close to the mother for one to two years to learn travel routes and the location of food, rest areas and warm water refuges.

Females generally give birth to a single calf every two to five years Reynolds There are approximately 6, Florida manatees in existence. All Sirenians are in danger of extinction. It is illegal to harass, hunt, kill, capture, or collect manatees. In , Florida legislature established the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act that helped to establish speed zones and sanctuary areas. Today there are twenty-two manatee wintering sites in Florida that aid in the protection of this species by not permitting boats, swimmers, or divers in these areas.

While boating, you may see signs warning of manatees in the area. The guidelines are provided to protect manatees from humans. Signs are posted in hopes that boaters will be responsible by watching for manatees and reducing their travel speed in areas where manatees are often found.

Manatees, like many of us, seem to be curious. They appear to seek out humans, but we must think about their well being rather than our own enjoyment. Manatees are herbivores and feed on over 60 species of aquatic plants and algae found in their natural environment.

By offering water hoses or lettuce to attract manatees, we are placing them in great danger. Most of us who have access to a hose near the water live in areas frequented by boats. Manatees have survived successfully without hoses or lettuce for nearly 45 million years.

Feeding marine mammals is illegal according to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Enjoy the moment and appreciate their grace and beauty. Do not reach out to the manatee. The best way to enjoy their company is to observe them from a distance.

The first thing you should do is take a few minutes to observe the manatee. If possible, draw a sketch. Are there other manatees in the area? Have you seen the manatee dive or eat? These are just a few of the questions that might be asked by a member of the manatee assessment team. They will notify the appropriate people to assess the situation. In order to rescue a manatee, it is often necessary to tag the animal. The tag is connected around the base of the tail and designed to break free if it becomes entangled or caught.

There are two types of tags: radio and satellite. Radio tags are used for short term, local tracking. With a radio tag, we can track the manatee to a place where it is safe to rescue.

Satellite tags are used for long-term, possibly distant tracking. By satellite tagging manatees, biologists can study and observe the traveling patterns and health of released manatees. Ackerman, B. Wright, R. Bonde, D. Odell and B. Banowitz Trends and patterns in mortality of manatees in Florida Pages in T. Ackerman, H. Percival, editors. Population Biology of the Flroida manatee: information and technical report 1. National Biological Services, Ft. Collins, Colorado. Domning, D. Interspecific and intraspecific morphological variation in manatees Sirenia: Tricechus.

Marine Mammal Science 2 2 : Evolution of manatees: a speculative history. Journal of Paleontology. Flamm, R. Aerial videogrammetry from a tethered airship to assess manatee life- Stage structure.

Marine Mammal Science. Marsh, H. Heinsohn and L. Breeding cycle, life history and population dynamics of the dugong. Dugong dugon Sirenia: Dugongidae. Australian Journal of Zoology.

Beck, and T. Comparison of the capabilities of dugongs and West Indian manatees to masticate sea grass. Evaluating management initiatives aimed at reducing the mortality of dugongs in gill and mesh nets in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

McClenaghan, L. Genetic variability in the Florida manatee Trichechus manatus. Journal of Mammalogy. An analysis of manatee mortality patterns in Florida, Journal of Wildlife Management. Smith, A. Environmental Magazine. Stejneger, L. How the great northern sea cow Rytina became exterminated. The American Naturalist.

Fish and Wildlife Service. Florida manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris recovery plan. By the Florida manatee recovery team for the U. Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlantic, Georgia. Dietz, Tim. The call of the Siren: Manatees and Dugongs. Fulcrum Pub. Golden, CO. Reynolds, John E.

This species was part of the dugong family. They could grow up to 30 feet long, about the size of a small whale. Unlike their modern relatives, they had no teeth at all and feasted on kelp.

They also could survive in cold water, which is deadly to the modern manatee. Howard University professor Daryl P. Lawrence Island. More than 30 species of sea cows have been discovered since ; half of those species were discovered and named by Domning and his team. Using their rib cage muscles, they can compress their lung volume and make their bodies more dense. They use this mechanism to come to the surface to breathe instead of actively swimming up and down.

Even while they sleep, their rib cage muscles will relax, expanding their lung volume and gently carrying them to the surface. After they breathe, the muscles contract and the manatee effortlessly sinks back under water. Manatees have no natural predators or enemies. Humans can injure or kill manatees with their boats. Humans have also degraded their habitat by blocking natural springs and building up the coastline.

People have also accelerated sea grass loss — now, both manatees and the environment they live in are classified as endangered. Tune in to a manatee livestream. Support Provided By: Learn more. Wednesday, Nov The Latest. World Agents for Change. Health Long-Term Care. For Teachers.