1. Researched and Presented by Mrs. Moureaux
Meet the Endangered
Manatee
Researched and Presented by Mrs. Moureaux

2. Manatees
Slow-moving aquatic Mammals that evolved from four-footed animals over ,000 years ago
May be over 13ft long and weigh 3,500 lbs
Grey-brown color
Two flippers and paddle-shaped tail
Whiskers and flexible lips that grasp plants as they eat

3. Manatee & Dugong
Most complete transition to marine life along with whales and dolphins
Related to the elephant, but common ancestor didn’t look like either of them
Once many more species around
Large layer of blubber
Origin of the mermaid myth
Herbivores
Nostrils on top of snout have valves to keep water out
Both species have one calf at a time
Tend to have a single calf every 3 years
Description & Fascinating Facts The Dugong, Dugong dugon, range in length from m in length. Sexual dimorphism is either absent or females may slightly outsize males and can weigh over 270 kg. Dugongs are born a pale cream color, but they darken with age to a deep slate gray dorsally and laterally. Short hair is sparsely distributed over the body, save the bristles on the muzzle. The skin is thick, tough and smooth. The front-limbs have evolved into flippers that are cm long. These are used for propulsion by young, but the adults use the fluke-like tail for locomotion, using the flippers for steering. The muscular upper lip is cleft and protrudes over the down turned mouth. The premaxilla is enlarged and downturned, the nasal bones are absent, the braincase is small and the zygomatic arch is thick and deep. The bones of the skeleton are pachyostotic (extremely thickened and dense). Although superficially they resemble whales, sirenians have evolved independently. They are descended from the group of ancient land mammals that also gave rise to the elephants. World Range & Habitat Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean: Found discontinuously in coastal waters of east Africa from the Red Sea to northernmost South, northeastern Indian, along the Malay peninsula, around the northern coast of Australia to New Guinea and many of the island groups of the South Pacific. Range was much greater in the past. Dugongs inhabit shallow, tropical marine coastal water mainly confined to sea grass beds, which occur in calm and shallow coastal areas, such as embayment and lagoons. Dugongs and are more strictly marine than manatees, it seldom enters rivers. Feeding Behavior Dugongs feed on the phanerogamous (having visible flowers containing distinct stamens and pistils) sea grasses of the families Potamogetonaceae and Hydrocharitaceae. Also reported to occasionally eat algae, and crabs have also been found in the stomachs of dugongs. Despite its diet, the dugong has a relatively simple stomach. The lower lip and distal parts of the palate have horny pads used to grasp vegetation, which is then uprooted with the strong upper lip. Dugongs have teeth in adults. The molars are rootless, circular in cross-section and lack enamel, males have long, tusklike incisor teeth. Reproduction The Dugong is a long-lived animal with a life span of up to 70 years, a minimum pre-reproductive period of 9-10 years, though it can occur as late as 15 years and an estimated mean calving interval of 3-7 years. Breeding occurs throughout the year and peak months for birth vary geographically. The exact length of gestation is unknown, but it is presumed to be about 1 year. Single calves are the norm and twins are rare. Parturition (the birth process)takes place in shallow water, and newborn calves are able to swim immediately to the surface for their first breath of air. Newborn calves are about cm long and weigh kg. Young may remain with the mother for a year. Warnings & Comments Dugongs are hunted throughout their range for meat, which has been likened to veal. They are also hunted for oil, hides for leather, and for their bones and teeth, which are made into ivory artifacts and charcoal for sugar refining. Some Asian cultures prize dugong products for medicinal purposes. Has been heavily exploited in the Philippines, almost to extinction. Endangered. Dugongs have a good fossil record going back to Eocene terrestrial ancestors.

4. Dugong
Location: coastal and inland waters of the western Indo-Pacific region
Dugongs are exclusively marine and have a dolphin-like tail
Dugongs tend to dig seagrass rhizomes
Predator includes tiger sharks

5. 10,000
Dugong Range

6. Family Dugongidae Dugong dugong Steller's Sea Cow tHydrodamalis gigas
Discovered 1741, extinct 1768.
8.9 ft, lbs
At one time, the Steller's sea cow was found in the cold waters of the Bering Sea, but it was hunted to extinction within 27 years of its discovery in The largest sirenian on record, the Steller's sea cow grew up to nine meters (30 feet) in length and weighed around four metric tons (approximately 4.4 tons).
30ft, 4.4 tons

7. Manatee Location: Florida, Central and South America
Manatees have paddle-like tails and frequent freshwater
Manatees tend to crop and grab with prehensile lips
Manatees are larger than dugongs
Few predators
Threats:
Careless boaters
Habitat loss

8. Manatee
9.8 ft, lbs
3,000 in U.S.

9. Relationship between Sirenians and elephants (mtDNA)
Asian elephant
African elephant
tmammoth
tmastadon
tStellar’s sea cow
Dugong
Ancestral
mammals
West Indian manatee
Brazilian manatee
West African manatee
Other mammals 80 60 40 20
Million of years before present

10. What do Manatees Eat?
Manatees are vegetarians. They eat all kinds of aquatic plants but their favorite is the water hyacinth.
Manatees eat SO MANY plants… (100 pounds a day!) that they help to keep the waterways clear for boats

11. Where do Manatees Live?
Manatees can live in both salt water and fresh water. In the summer when the ocean is warm they live mostly along the coastal waters of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and parts of the Caribbean Sea. In the winter they swim into the warmer water of the rivers and springs that empty into the ocean.

12. Some Really Cool Stuff About the Manatee
Manatees can hold their breath under water for 20 minutes! (but usually surface every 4 minutes or less to breathe)
Though manatees look a lot like seals or walruses they are most closely related to elephants!
Sailors long ago who saw manatees for the first time thought they were mermaids!
Manatee babies get milk from their moms from under her flippers!

13. Manatees are Threatened by…
Motorboat propellers
Polluted water
Fishing lines that trap them under water
Red Tides
Loss of habitat

14. What Can You Do to Help Save the Manatee?
Find out all you can about the manatee and share the knowledge with others
Join a conservation group that is working to protect manatees
Join a clean up campaign in your area to keep our waterways clean
Find out about laws to protect the manatee. Write to lawmakers and ask them to do more.

15. Many Manatees die each year because of…
Pollution
Cold weather (which gives them the Flu)
Red tide (plankton that poisons manatees and fish)
Getting hit by boats
And running out of food during the winter
We can help them by picking up trash, guiding them to warmer areas, watching your speed limit while boating, and giving them fresh water to drink.

16. They breath like we do
They have hair
They are warm blooded
They don’t lay eggs
They give milk to their babies
They have thick layers of fat
They have whiskers
They breath every 3-4 minutes
They sleep under water
When they sleep they float up every 20 minutes
They are herbivores
Their lungs are 2/3 of their body
They circle each other while playing
They breath through their nostrils
They STINK!!!
When they swim they get algae and barnacles stuck to their backs

17. They never stop growing
They are solid and heavy
They look like sea elephants
Scientist think long ago manatees were land animals
Manatees have toenails
Their noses look like short trunk
Manatees communicate by high pitched sounds

18. HIBERNATING
In the Winter Manatees go a far north as the Carolinas or as far west as Louisiana,
they like warm water such as 72 degrees
They need to gather or store a lot of food for the winter
MATING
Mating season- no particular period
Gestation- about 1 year
Number of offspring- I calf
Born weighing pounds and 3-4 feet
They nurse underwater and their mom helps them to the surface

19. Rarely do single Manatees venture out in 68 degrees or colder water.

20. Let’s Work So It’s Not
The End
Of the Manatee