Florida manatees diet
Manatees only breathe through their nostrils, since while they are underwater their mouths are occupied with eating. Manatees have swum as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts in recent years. The name manatee comes from the Haitian word manati. Manatees use their muscular lips to tear plants and guide food to their lips - not unlike the way an elephant uses its trunk. They are grayish brown in color and have thick, wrinkled skin on which there is often a growth of algae. They may consume 10% of their body weight daily in vegetation. Rarely do individuals venture into waters below 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Today, they often bear scars on account of their collisions with boats, a major hazard. Their thick-skinned, streamlined, almost hairless bodies have forelimbs modified into flippers. Manatees are herbivores, with a diet consisting mostly of sea grasses and freshwater vegetation. Manatees can grow over 13 feet in length and weigh up to 3,500 pounds. As they wear down and fall out, they are replaced with new teeth. Manatees spend most of their time feeding, resting or travelling. Manatees and dugongs are marine mammals of the order Sirenia. Manatees eat over 60 different species of aquatic and semi-aquatic plants. To accommodate the great volume of high-fiber food they eat, manatatees have intestines up to 150 feet long. They also have powerful, flat tails that help propel them through the water. Manatees only have molars, which are used to grind food. Their digestive system allows the bacterial breakdown of cellulose in the hind-gut.
Their eyes are small, but eyesight is good. Some individuals migrate as far north as the Carolinas or as far west as Louisiana in summer. Manatees can be found in the warm waters of shallow rivers, bays, estuaries and coastal waters. Despite their small eyes and lack of outer ears, manatees are thought to see and hear quite well. Three or four nails are found at the end of each flipper. Manatees have a nictitating membrane which can be drawn across the eyeball for protection. Related Family: Dugongidae (Arctic Sea Cows - extinct - and Dugongs). Their structure helps the manatee move through the water, bring food to its mouth, and hold objects. Each vibrissa has its own separate follicular blood supply and nerve endings. It moves its tail up and down to propel its body forward through the water. Lengths of 10-12 feet and 1000 -1500 pounds for adults are more typical. Their front flippers help them steer, or sometimes crawl, through shallow water. In ancient times, sailors mistook them for mermaids or sirens on account of their long tails. Like other grazing animals, Florida manatees play an important role in influencing the plant growth in the shallow rivers, bays, estuaries, canals and coastal waters they call home. They originated in the middle Eocene period around 45 to 50 million years ago. Their diet includes manatee grass, turtle grass, various species of algae, mangrove leaves, and water hyacinths. A manatee uses its flippers and tail to steer itself. They prefer shallow saltwater bays, slow-moving rivers, canals, estuaries and coastal waters.
Florida manatees diet video:
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