West Indian Manatee

Trichechus manatus

As I write this there are four living Sirenian species in the world. Three are Manatees, and one is the Dugong. The order gets its name from the Sirens of Greek myth, and there are legends of sailors mistaking this giant aquatic mammals for mermaids!

The West Indian Manatee is one of the three living Manatees, with the African and the Amazonian being the other two. Though they live exclusively in the water like Whales do, they aren't closely related at all. Their nearest living relatives are actually the other members of the Afrotheria superorder- Elephants, Hyraxes, Sengis, and Aardvarks. The Manatees and Dugongs evolved from wading African herbivores millions of years ago.

West Indian Manatee eating

West Indian Manatees can be found in the Caribbean, as well as along the coast of Central and South America. They can live in both fresh and saltwater, and make their homes in rivers, estuaries, canals, and other coastal, slow-moving waters that give them a steady food supply. Manatees are herbivores that feed on floating, aquatic plants. They can eat up to 150lbs of food every single day!

Did you know that the West Indian Manatee is a migratory species? Though they normally only travel at around 5mph (a very brisk walking speed for a human), they can move hundreds of miles in a year. In the United States they have been seen as far north as Massachusetts and New York over the summer months, though those occurrences are very rare.

West Indian Manatees live long, slow lives when compared to some other mammals. They can live as long as 60 years, they have long gestation periods (up to 14 months), and very lengthy reproductive cycles that can mean several years between calves.

The slow reproductive rate has been one of the things holding back the conservation effort. You see, West Indian Manatees were once hunted for their meat, skins, and oil, and they continue to be threatened by fast moving watercraft and by habitat loss. They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, and are protected by the United States Endangered Species act, but it is a a very slow path to recovery, since they breed so slowly and because the human population in their area only continues to grow.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : South America and Caribbean Islands
Size : Length up to 11ft (3.5m), Weight up to 1,200lbs (544kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Sirenia
Family : Trichechidae -- Genus : Trichechus -- Species : T. manatus

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Dugong

Dugong

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Superorder : Afrotheria
Order : Sirenia
Family : Dugongidae
Genus : Dugong
Species : dugon

Length : Up to 10ft (3m)
Weight : 500-1,100lbs (226-499kg)

IUCN Status : Vulnerable

According to EDGE, the Dugong is one of the most evolutionarily diverse mammals still alive. It's closest known relative, the tragic Steller's Sea Cow, was hunted to extinction in the 18th century. Dugongs belong to the same order as the three extant Manatee species, and that order is more closely related to Aardvarks and Elephants than it is to the other aquatic mammals like Whales and Seals!

Dugongs can be found in the warm coastal waters of the Indian Ocean, stretching from Africa to Australia. They are very seldom found in freshwater. Dugongs were once hunted for their oil and meat, but are now protected through their range. Unfortunately, these large aquatic herbivores still die as the byproduct of net fishing. Because of their large size, Dugongs have very few natural predators. Only large Sharks, Orcas, and large Crocodiles actively hunt them.

Dugong

Dugongs live exclusively in water, and come to the surface only to breathe. They are able to hold their breaths
for up to six minutes at a time while they feed off of underwater grasses, and they move slowly at speeds of around 6mph (10kph).

Dugongs are typically seen alone or in very small groups, though historically there are reports of herds numbering in the hundreds. Baby Dugongs are born underwater after a one year gestation period, and the mothers push them upwards so they can take their first breaths.

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