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MANATEE SPRINGS! WHAT IS a MANATEE? Manatees, and the Closely Related Dugong, Are a Taxonomical Order of Large, Herbivorous, Aquatic Mammals

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MANATEE SPRINGS! WHAT IS a MANATEE? Manatees, and the Closely Related Dugong, Are a Taxonomical Order of Large, Herbivorous, Aquatic Mammals MANATEE SPRINGS! WHAT IS A MANATEE? Manatees, and the closely related dugong, are a taxonomical Order of large, herbivorous, aquatic mammals. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Sirenia Family: Dugongidae and Trichechidae MANATEE PHYSIOLOGY Despite weighing upwards of 3000+ lbs, manatees have very low body fat. Their stomach and intestines make up most of their large body to help digest vegetation. Typically feeding on submerged aquatic plants, manatees have 34 solid rib bones to help weigh them down to feed on the bottom. MANATEE PHYSIOLOGY CONT. Manatees’ lungs are located along their backside; this location and shape of the lungs helps in their ability to float in water. When they take a breath, manatees replace 50-90% of the oxygen in their lungs (humans typically replace only 10%) Because of this, manatees can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes! “SAY CHEESE!” Prehensile lips allow for a greater manipulation of food. Facial whiskers (vibrasse) are as sensitive as our fingers and help manatees navigate their environment. Because they eat so much vegetation, manatees wear down their teeth over time. Manatees continuously replace their molars throughout their lives. Manatees’ flippers have Manatees will use their the same bones as a flippers to “walk” along human arm, including the ocean/river floor. finger bones, which give Occasionally, manatees them flexibility to guide will even use their food to their mouths. flippers to propel The flippers also have themselves out of the fingernails! water to eat. MANATEE ORIGINS The earliest known sirenians date back to the Eocene, 50 million years ago, and likely lived a semi-aquatic lifestyle. The manatees closest living relatives are elephants! T H E M Y T H O F T H E M E R M A I D MODERN DAY SIRENIANS Today, there are four living species and two subspecies of sirenians: o Dugong (Dugong dugon) o West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) Florida Subspecies Antillean Subspecies o West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) o Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis) W H E R E I N T H E W O R L D A R E T H E SIRENIANS? Manatees and dugongs typically occupy shallow waters of tropical coastlines and inlets in both the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. DUGONG Dugong dugon A close relative to the manatee, dugongs resemble their cousins greatly with the exception of a dolphin like, fluke shaped tail Unlike their manatee relatives, dugongs are strictly a marine dwelling species. WEST AFRICAN MANATEE Trichechus senegalensis The African manatee resides in salt, fresh, and brackish water, but they seem to prefer calmer waters and can be found throughout 13 countries in Africa! Often referred to as the “forgotten sirenian,” very little is known about this species of manatee, they are the least studied large mammal and Africa. These manatees tend to eat overhanging vegetation, rather than submerged aquatic plants. They have also been known to remove fish from nets and consume fields of planted rice. Because of this they are often considered to be pests. AMAZONIAN MANATEE Trichechus inunguis Found throughout the Amazon River and it’s tributaries, the Amazonian manatee is the only sirenian to solely reside in fresh water. These manatees feed mostly during the wet season. During the dry seasons they congregate in the main river and rely on stored fat reserves. Adapted to murky waters, these manatees are very secretive. Because of this, no reliable population estimates exist. WEST INDIAN MANATEE Trichechus manatus The Florida and Antillean manatees are the two subspecies of the West Indian manatee. We house Florida manatees at the Cincinnati Zoo. The Florida manatee is migratory and can be found as far north as Rhode Island in the summer months! West Indian manatees communicate with touch and squeak like vocalizations. However, they are not territorial and show any forms of social hierarchy. West Indian manatees have evolved in an area free of predators, because of this they lack any predatory response. THE EXTINCT STELLER’S SEA COW MANATEE CONSERVATION STATUS Currently, all four species of Sirenians are listed as Threatened for Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Overall, there are not any accurate population estimates for manatees. Dugong- Unknown West African Manatee- Uknown Amazonian Manatee ~ 8,000-30,000 West Indian Manatee ~ 13,000 In 2017, the West Indian Manatee was downgraded on the Endangered Species List from Threatened to Vulnerable. This has been met with some controversy. MANATEE THREATS Manatees face a lot of threats in the wild, many of which are caused by humans. This includes: Boat Collisions Red Tide Habitat Loss Cold Stress Harassment Pollution Dredging Flood Gates THE CURRENT RED TIDE SITUATION Red tide is a harmful algal bloom caused by the Karenia brevis algae. Pesticides and other chemicals that we use wash into the water, creating these harmful blooms. These blooms release neurotoxins that affect the central nervous system of many animals and can lead to death. It can also cause respiratory problems in humans. These blooms are common, especially during the summer months, in the coastal regions of Florida and Texas. However, since October 2017 an unusually persistent bloom has been affecting coastal areas in Florida. August 2018 November 2018 THE ISSUES WITH PLASTICS Plastic has basically taken over our world, it is in our cars, our clothing, our houses …. And unfortunately also our oceans. Plastics can take hundreds of years to degrade, contains toxic chemicals, and breaks down into microplastics over time. Around 80% of ocean plastic begins on land, most of this being plastic bottles and plastic packaging. Plastics leach chemicals into the water, and can entangle, choke, drown, and starve wildlife. FROM SUSTAINABLE SUBSTITUTE TO CONSERVATION CATASTROPHE Modern plastics arose as a replacement material for ivory, coral, and sea turtle shell. Natural sources Celluloid (1869) Bakelite (1909) Partially synthetic First fully synthetic plastic plastic “THE PLASTIC AGE” - A N AT I O N OF CONSUMERS WHERE HAS THIS G O T T E N U S ? WHERE HAS THIS G O T T E N U S ? MANATEE RESCUE, REHAB, AND RELEASE 12/17/2018 OUR MANATEES Matthew: Was rescued from New Smyrna on 10/9/2016, right after Hurricane Matthew. He weighed 56 pounds and is now up to around 550 pounds. Miles: Was rescued from the Sykes Creek on Merritt Island on 8/17/2016 and weighed only 43 pounds. After receiving critical care at Sea World Orlando, his weight is now 570 pounds. Pippen: Was rescued from the Halifax River on 7/20/2016 weighing only 58 pounds. After receiving critical care at Sea World Orlando, his weight is now 334 pounds. Daphne: Was rescued after her mother had been hit by a boat. Unfortunately her mother did not survive. Daphne came to Cincinnati at around 1 year old and at 250 pounds. She now weighs about 450 pounds.
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