5416
West Indian Manatee
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5416 |
West Indian Manatee |
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| Atlantic Coast | ||
| Marine Mania expansion | ||
| $1,100 | ||
| No | ||
| No | ||
| No |
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The Manatee, along with its close relative the Dugong, is the only plant-eating marine mammals alive today. Unrelated to the cetacean family (which includes whales and dolphins), Manatees are part of the family Trichechidae. Manatees are more closely related to aardvarks and elephants than to whales. Manatees are truly massive animals. The largest on record was 13 feet long and weighed over 3,500 pounds. The average adult is a smaller (but still respectable) 12 feet in length and weighs 1,800 pounds. They are covered in gray, wrinkled skin, often with attached colonies of barnacles. The manatee has tiny eyes spaced far apart in its massive head, a snout ending in valved nostrils for surface breathing, and no real neck to speak of. Its long flippers end in fingernails, and its flat, broad tail is rounded like a spoon. Because they only have six vertebrae in their neck, manatees can’t turn their head from side to side, or even look behind them without turning their entire body around.They are usually relaxed creatures, cruising through the water at two to three miles per hour, but when frightened or upset they can travel at 15 miles per hour for short amounts of time. They can also travel short distances by "walking" on their flippers. Like many land animals, manatees have a larynx which they use to vocalize chirps, squeaks, and whistles. These sounds are primarily used to maintain contact between animals, especially between mothers and calves. A manatee can stay underwater for up to 20 minutes, but must then surface to breathe. Manatees like to sleep underwater, but they can only rest half a brain at a time. The other half must take care of coming to the surface for oxygen at regular intervals. Because Manatees prefer habitats with mild water temperatures and abundant sea grass, they tend to return to the waters of Florida every winter, although many migrate to the south and west in the spring and summer. In Florida, they inhabit coastal waters and canals where the water is warmed by limestone springs (or, more recently, by power plants). While away from their Florida homes, manatees tend to travel solo or in small groups of two to three. In the winters, they congregate in large numbers around the sea grass beds. Mating herds of over 20 males will form as spring approaches. Manatees eat primarily aquatic grasses. For this reason, they are nicknamed "sea cows." An adult nanatee can eat over 100 pounds of food per day--10 to 15 percent of its body mass. All this chewing tends to wear out teeth, but manatees can replace teeth by growing new ones as the old ones wear out. They also have stiff bristles inside their upper lips to help manage the string-like vegetation they consume. If underwater grass supplies grow short, the manatee can lift its head out of the water to browse on plants growing along the shoreline. Like many marine mammals, manatees mate in the spring. As a female prepares to mate, a group of up to 20 males will form to escort her, waiting for her choice. Unlike many cetaceans, these suitors do not fight while awaiting the female’s choice. When the calves are born, they are about four feet long. They will spend their first year of life with their mothers and will often continue to seek out their mothers during winters in Florida long after they have grown to adulthood. Researchers are beginning to think that manatees may be as intelligent as the cetaceans. The low brain to body mass ratio, once thought to be an indicator of low intelligence, may simply be due to the manatee’s lack of reliance on visual perception. Manatees can be taught to come to the surface when their names are called and have matched or outperformed dolphins on intelligence tests in captivity. These gentle giants love to play and touch. Manatees will often "kiss" by touching mouths in greeting when they encounter one and other. They seek out physical contact, both with humans and each other, and play intricate games of follow the leader when not feeding. Manatees are harmless and friendly animals. Unfortunately, their affection for humans may lead to their downfall. In Florida’s crowded waterways, manatees are outnumbered 500 to 1 by powerboats. Often unable to hear the low frequency noise of an approaching boat, huge numbers of manatees are routinely killed or maimed by powerboats. By approaching boats to seek out human backrubs, or simply to play with anchor lines, Manatees often lead themselves to their deaths.
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75
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95
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80
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70
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5
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25
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-5
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No
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To build a good animal exhibit you need to ask a few questions: (click them for the answers) |
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Which tank wall is suitable for this animal? Remember that all tanks need a tank filter! |
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How big should the exhibit be and what Depth should the tank be? |
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Does this animal perform in a show? |
No |
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See Through |
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Concrete Edge and Glass |
$125 |
Yes |
3 |
500 |
13 |
10.4 |
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Atlantean Tank Wall |
$125 |
Yes |
3 |
500 |
13 |
10.4 |
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Solid Concrete |
$125 |
No |
3 |
500 |
13 |
10.4 |
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Black Bar and Glass |
$130 |
Yes |
3 |
500 |
13 |
10.0 |
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Number of Animals/Exhibit |
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20 |
2 |
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3 |
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| TankDepth |
3
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28
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
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| Saltwater |
100
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20
|
40
|
60
|
80
|
100
|
120
|
140
|
160
|
180
|
200
|
|
8
|
6
|
13
|
19
|
26
|
32
|
38
|
45
|
51
|
58
|
64
|
|
|
20
|
4
|
8
|
12
|
16
|
20
|
24
|
28
|
32
|
36
|
40
|
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Exhibit Size |
100
|
20
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40
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60
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80
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100
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120
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140
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160
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180
|
200
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7417
|
8
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Sea
Grass
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8
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$100
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8.0
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7411
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6
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Red
Gorgonian
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6
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$125
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4.8
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7413
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6
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Sand
Dollar
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6
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$110
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5.5
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7414
|
6
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Sea
Cucumber
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6
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$125
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4.8
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7412
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6
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Sargassum
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6
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$150
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4.0
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|
7407
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3
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Feather
Duster Worm
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3
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$120
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2.5
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7409
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3
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Kelp
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3
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$125
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2.4
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7408
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3
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Fire
Coral
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3
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$150
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2.0
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7410
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3
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Sea
Lettuce
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3
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$110
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2.7
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7416
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3
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Seaweed
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3
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$100
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3.0
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7419
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3
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Stove
Pipe Sponge
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3
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$150
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2.0
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7406
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3
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Divercate
Tree Coral
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3
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$125
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2.4
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9235
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6
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Small
Ocean Floor Rock
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1
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1
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Yes
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24
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$100
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24.0
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9241
|
6
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Isle
Rock
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8
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8
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Yes
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6
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$150
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4.0
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9236
|
6
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Medium
Coral Formation
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4
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4
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Yes
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6
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$150
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4.0
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|
9238
|
6
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Medium
Ocean Floor Rock
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2
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2
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Yes
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6
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$150
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4.0
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|
9237
|
6
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Large
Ocean Floor Rock
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4
|
4
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Yes
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6
|
$165
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3.6
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|
9236
|
6
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Medium
Coral Formation
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4
|
4
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Yes
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6
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$150
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4.0
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none |
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6466
|
Fake
Clam
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100
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$185
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|
6468
|
Treasure
Chest
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100
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$185
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|
6470
|
Deep
Sea Diver
|
100
|
$200
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| High | 5 | ||
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ReproductionInterval(months): |
9 | -12 | |
| 96 | 10 | ||
| 1 |
TimeDeath(months): |
36 | |
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BabyToAdult(months): |
4 |
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| -10 | -20 | ||
| 5 | 60 | ||
| -5 | -5 | ||
| 20 | 1 | ||
| -10 | -15 | ||
| -10 | -15 | ||
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10 |
Marine Grass |
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