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Manatees weigh 400 to 550 kg (880 to 1,210 lb), and average 2.8 to 3.0 m (9 ft 2 in to 9 ft 10 in) in length, sometimes growing to 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in) and 1,775 kg (3,913 lb) and females tend to be larger and heavier than males. At birth, baby manatees weigh about 30 kg (66 lb) each.
The only visible distinction between males and females is the genital openings. However, males tend to be smaller than females. Some female African manatees are sexually mature as young as 3 years of age, and they give birth every 3 to 5 years of their estimated 30-year lifespan.
The gestation period in manatees lasts for 12–14 months, after which they give birth to one calf at a time or, rarely, twins. [56] When twins are born, they are fraternal twins and are dizygotic. [60] When a calf is born, it usually weighs 60–70 lb (27–32 kg) and is 4.0–4.5 ft (1.2–1.4 m) long.
By: INSIDE EDITION Gene Parker, tour guide and owner of Snorkel with Manatees, spotted a momma manatee with her newborn twins in Homosassa Springs, Florida, and he could barely contain his excitement.
Manatees do not possess blubber per se, but rather have thick skin and consequently are sensitive to temperature changes. ... females give birth only a few times ...
Articles related to the Manatees (genus Trichechus), 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 African manatee (Trichechus ...
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Despite the longevity of the dugong, which may live for 50 years or more, females give birth only a few times during their lives and invest considerable parental care in their young. [97] The time between births is unclear, with estimates ranging from 2.4 to 7 years. [13] Mating behaviour varies between populations located in different areas. [20]