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Concept
Manatee
Summary
Manatees (ˈmaen@ti:z, family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis), the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), and the West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis). They measure up to long, weigh as much as , and have paddle-like tails.
Manatees are herbivores and eat over 60 different freshwater and saltwater plants. Manatees inhabit the shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon basin, and West Africa.
The main causes of death for manatees are human-related issues, such as habitat destruction and human objects. Their slow-moving, curious nature has led to violent collisions with propeller-driven boats and ships. Some manatees have been found with over 50 scars on them from propeller blades. Natural causes of death include adverse temperatures, predation by crocodiles on young, and disease.
The etymology of the name is unclear, with connections having been made to Latin manus "hand" and to pre-Columbian Taíno manati "breast". The term sea cow is a reference to the species' slow, peaceful, herbivorous nature, reminiscent of that of bovines.
Manatees are three of the four living species in the order Sirenia. The fourth is the Eastern Hemisphere's dugong. The Sirenia are thought to have evolved from four-legged land mammals more than 60 million years ago, with the closest living relatives being the Proboscidea (elephants) and Hyracoidea (hyraxes).
Manatees weigh , and average in length, sometimes growing to and and females tend to be larger and heavier than males. At birth, baby manatees weigh about each. The female manatee has two teats, one under each flipper, a characteristic that was used to make early links between the manatee and elephants.
The lids of manatees' small, widely spaced eyes close in a circular manner.
Official source
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