MANATEES AND DUGONGS SCIENTIFIC NAME: SIRENIA AND DUGONG DUGON

BASIC FACTS LARGE AQUATIC ANIMALS GRAYISH WRINKLED SKIN COMMON TO GROW ALGAE ON SKIN MANATEES HAVE FRONT FLIPPERS TO HELP THEM STEER DUGONGS HAVE FLAT TAILS AND FLIPPERS LIKE A WHALE DUGONGS HAVE LARGE MOUTHS DESIGNED FOR EATING GRASS

DIET MANATEES AND DUGONGS ARE TRUE VEGETARIANS THEIR DIET CONSISTS OF SEAWEED, WATER CELERY, WATER LETTUCE, ETC.

POPULATION IN 1991 THE POPULATION OF MANATEES WAS 1,267 TODAYS NUMBERS ARE 6, % INCREASE! THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 85,000 DUGONGS

HABITAT MANATEES AND DUGONGS CAN BE FOUND IN SHALLOW WATERS RIVERS, ESTUARIES, SALTWATER BAYS, CANALS, COASTAL AREAS AREAS WITH A LOT OF SEAGRASS BEDS OR FRESHWATER VEGETATION

BEHAVIOR MANATEES AND DUGONGS ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE WHAT SO EVER VERY CALM ANIMALS SPEND MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME EATING AND RESTING THE REST OF THEIR DAY CONSISTS OF TRAVELING, INVESTIGATING OBJECTS, AND SOCIALIZING WITH OTHER MANATEES SEMI-SOCIAL THEY LIKE RIDING CURRENTS AND FOLLOWING EACHOTHER

REPRODUCTION MANATEES AND DUGONGS HAVE LOW REPRODUCTIVE RATES MANATEES ARE NOT SEXUALLY MATURE UNTIL THEY ARE APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS OLD AND DUGONGS AREN’T SEXUALLY MATURE UNTIL THEY ARE ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD ONE CALF IS BORN EVERY TWO TO FIVE YEARS MOTHERS NURSE THEIR YOUNG FOR ONE TO TWO YEARS

REPRODUCTION MALE MANATEES ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR RAISING THE CALF CALVES NURSE UNDERWATER BEHIND THE MOTHERS FLIPPERS AND BEGIN TO EAT PLANTS A FEW WEEKS AFTER BIRTH NEWBORNS ARE ABLE TO SWIM TO THE SURFACE ON THEIR OWN AND VOCALIZE SOON AFTER BIRTH

FUN FACTS MANATEES GO TO THE SURFACE OF THE WATER EVERY THREE TO FIVE MINUTES TO BREATHE, THEY HOLD THEIR BREATH FOR UP TO 20 MINUTES THE CLOSEST LIVING RELATIVES TO SIRENIANS ARE ELEPHANTS MANATEES HAVE NO NATURAL PREDATORS IN THE WILD BUT HUMANS HAVE PLAYED A HUGE PART IN MAKING THE SPECIES AT RISK OF EXTENSION DUGONG IS A LARGE ANIMAL THAT CAN REACH THE LENGTH OF 11 FEET ANGD WEIGH UP TO 2000 POUNDS

FUN FACTS WHEN DUGONGS ARE IN SHALLOW WATER, THEY CAN STAND ON THEIR TAIL WITH THEIR HEAD ABOVE THE SURFACE THE BOND BETWEEN THE MOTHER AND CALF IS VERY STRONG. THE MOTHER HELPS THE BABY REACH THE SURFACE OF THE WATER FOR ITS FIRST BREATH. THE CALF USUALLY STAYS WITH THE MOTHER UNTIL THE AGE OF 18 MONTHS MANATEES ARE ALSO KNOWN AS SEA COWS

CURRENT EVENT THE UNUSUALLY COLD WEATHER THAT STRUCK FLORIDA IN JANUARY DID MORE THAN DAMAGE CROPS AND CITRUS TREES. IT HAS ALSO CAUSED AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF DEATHS AMONG FLORIDA'S BELOVED RESIDENTS, THE ENDANGERED WEST INDIES MANATEES. TWISTING AND FLOPPING IN THE SHALLOW WATER, BABY CORAL PROBABLY DOESN'T REALIZE JUST HOW LUCKY SHE IS. WHEN THIS 3-YEAR-OLD FEMALE MANATEE WAS BROUGHT INTO TAMPA'S LOWRY PARK ZOO LAST MONTH, SHE WAS 300 POUNDS UNDERWEIGHT, UNABLE TO EAT. HER SKIN WAS COVERED WITH SMALL WHITE, BLISTER-LIKE LESIONS KNOWN AS "FLORIDA FROSTBITE," THE RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO COLD TEMPERATURES.

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