manatee
Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. [1]
An adventurous manatee - approximately the marine equivalent of an elephant - made headlines after it swam north from the vicinity of Florida all the way to New York, a distance of 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) or so. [2]
The West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) is a manatee, and the largest surviving member of the aquatic mammal order Sirenia (which also includes the Dugong and the extinct Steller’s Sea Cow).The West Indian Manatee, Trichechus manatus, is a species distinct from the Amazonian Manatee, T. inunguis, and the West African Manatee, T. senegalensis. [3]
The West Indian manatee is related to the West African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, the dugong, and Steller’s sea cow, which was hunted to extinction in 1768. [4]
Any of various herbivorous aquatic mammals of the genus Trichechus, having paddlelike front flippers and a horizontally flattened tail and found in warm coastal waters of Florida, northern South America, West Africa, and the Caribbean. [2]
Much of the knowledge about manatees is based upon research done in Florida and cannot necessarily be attributed to all types of manatees. [...] Manatees are mainly herbivores, spending most of their time grazing in shallow waters and at depths of 1-2 meters (3-7 ft). [5]
West Indian manatees are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. [4]
During summer, these large mammals have even been found as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts. [3]
Manatees may undertake local migrations in response to water temperature, water depth, or to the presence/absence of freshwater. [2]
Half a manatee’s day is spent sleeping in the water, surfacing for air regularly at intervals no greater than 20 minutes. [5]
Description: West Indian manatees are large, gray aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. [4]
They contain three of the four living species in the order Sirenia, the other being the dugong, which is native to the Eastern Hemisphere. [...] The Amazonian Manatee (T. inunguis) is a species of manatee that lives in the freshwater habitats of the Amazon River and its tributaries. [5]
West Indian manatees can also be found in the coastal and inland waterways of Central America and along the northern coast of South America, although distribution in these areas may be discontinuous. [4]
Sources:
[1] MANATEE - Facts and Information
[2] manatee: Definition from Answers.com
[3] West Indian Manatee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[4] Manatee Facts
[5] Manatee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia