Manatees Habitat

Before we discuss the manatees habitat, let's refresh our basic knowledge about these great creations. The manatees or the Trichechidae trichechus are large marine herbivorous mammals which are completely aquatic in nature. They are also known as sea cows because the look of their structures are similar to terrestrial cows. There are a number of species found in this family, viz: Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis), West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) and West Indian manatee/ Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus). All these manatees have very common features as well as habits, where they are all about 11 to 13 ft in lengths and have paddle flippers which they use for swimming under water. The ancestors of these manatees are said to be four legged terrestrial mammals which were related to elephants about 60 millions years ago. In this article, you will read about what is a manatees habitat, so read on and find out.

Habitat of Manatees

The West Indian manatee belongs to the order Sirenia, and is divided in two sub species, viz: Florida manatee and the Antillean Manatee or Caribbean Manatee. The other two, don't have any sub species but they are all aquatic free living mammals who are deprived of hind limbs because they have evolved to swim. The West Indian manatee is gray or brown colored animals which are about 3 meters in length and weigh 400 to 600 kg. Since they lack the hind limbs, their bodies are wide at the abdomen and taper towards the tail which is paddle shaped.

They have two small flippers in the pectoral sides which they use to steer the body ahead in the water. They are also used to bring their food closer to their mouths. With all these properties found in this endangered animals, they manage to live and feed under water. To give you a brief idea about manatees habitat, we have some useful information about the same, put together in the next section. Take a look.

West Indian Manatees Habitat
The West Indian or the Florida manatees habitat is usually observed in rivers, canals, estuaries, bays and those coasts where there is food like seagrass and vegetation. The specialty of these animals in marine biology is that they can survive in freshwater as well as saline or salt water. They can also adapt to brackish water as their bodies are accustomed to any aquatic conditions. The manatees habitat is usually seen about 3.25 ft deep in the waters and they usually prefer to stay connected to the coast or the shore. The temperatures which are found suitable for their habitations are above 21 degrees C (70 degree F). There are very rare cases, when the Florida manatees are seen deep in the ocean, other than while traveling long distances. The West African manatee also has a very similar habitat type.

Amazonian Manatees Habitat
The Amazonian manatee is known to be a very different species among all the other manatees. It is a manatee which can survive only in freshwater and is usually found in the Amazon river basin. They are very rarely found and their exact population is yet unknown. Their preferred habitats in the Amazon basin are lagoons and backwater lakes where you will find very rich vegetation and aquatic plant life. The reason these marine animals are attracted to vegetation areas is because they are herbivores who feed many times in a day, and are known to eat about 12% more than their total body weight. They require a surrounding where the temperatures range from 25 to 30 degrees C (77 to 86 degrees F).

With this useful information about the manatees habitat, I am sure you came across many useful facts about manatees. Well, they are very graceful animals and absolutely friendly, so the next time you visit a zoo, don't forget to pat one on its snout!