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Manatees have nostrils, not blowholes like other aquatic mammals, which close when underwater to keep water out and open when above water to breathe. [14] Although manatees can remain under water for extended periods, surfacing for air about every five minutes is common. [15] [16] The longest documented submergence of an Amazonian manatee in ...
Manatees (/ ˈ m æ n ə t iː z /, family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows.There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis), the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), and the West ...
Sirenians typically make two- to three-minute dives, [74] but manatees can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes while resting [72] and dugongs up to six minutes. They may stand on their tail to hold their head above water. [75]
According to marine biologists, manatees need access to water warmer than 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive during the winter months, a requirement that many waterways in North and Central Florida ...
A drop in coastal water temperatures in Florida due to a recent polar vortex has caused manatees to search for warmer waters. A polar vortex event in Florida may result from climate change, which ...
Instead of hind limbs, the manatee has a spatula-like paddle for propulsion in the water. Manatees have evolved streamlined bodies which lack external ear flaps, thus decreasing resistance in the aquatic environment. Pelage cover is sparsely distributed across the body, which may play a role in reducing the build-up of algae on their thick skin.
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Manatees can also inhale these brevotoxins from the surface of the water as they come up for air, leading to respiratory symptoms and even drowning. [75] Manatee die-offs from exposure to red tide toxins were recorded by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in southwest Florida in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2013.