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Answers From the Manatee Expert
Special thanks Nancy Sadusky, Save
the Manatee Club for providing her time and expertise in responding to
your questions.
Note:
In some of Nancy's answers, she has made references to a couple of outside reference
sources. Here's the bibliography on those sources:
MANATEE ANATOMY FACTS AND TRIVIA INFORMATION SHEET. Available from: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Mail Station 245, 3900 Commonwealth Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000.
Reynolds III, John E. and Daniel K. Odell. MANATEES AND DUGONGS, Facts on File, Inc., New York: 1991.
From: Florida
St. John Greek Orthodox Day School
sgreek1@tampabay.rr.com
Q: How do you tell the age of a manatee?
A: Scientists believe that manatees are capable of living for 60 years or more. One manatee living in captivity, Snooty, is now over 50 years old. We know how old he is because he was born in captivity in 1948. Unless you know when a manatee is born, the only way to determine their age is by counting growth layer rings in their ear bones. Obviously this can only happen after a manatee has died.
Q: We have been told that the male manatee will protect the cow and the calf. Does this mean that the cow and the calf are defenseless when their male is missing?
A: Manatees do not form permanent pair bonds. During breeding, a single female, or cow, will be followed by a group of a dozen or more males, or bulls, forming a mating herd. The basic social unit among manatees is the female and her calf. The male manatee has no role in rearing or protecting the calf and tends to join other manatees primarily to mate (Reynolds and Odell 83).
Q: Have you observed young manatees left behind in the migration and how does it happen that mothers leave them behind?
A: Manatee calves are dependent on their mothers for up to two years. Not only do mothers feed their calves, but they also teach them all the things they need to know to survive on their own. Calves who are separated from their mothers may get lost. For example, if a mother swims away while a calf is being petted by humans, the calf may not find his or her way back to the mother and could ultimately die without her. In recent years, dependent calf mortality has increased considerably. This may be due, in part, to mother and calf separation. For this reason, Save the Manatee Club discourages people from touching manatees and encourages them to observe manatees from a distance.
Q:
Do manatees have clear glands like alligators to see underwater?A: There has not been a lot of research on the ability of manatees to see underwater. However, they seem to be able to detect objects at distances of tens of meters (Reynolds and Odell 43). Manatees have a nictitating membrane that can be drawn across their eyeball for protection.
Q. We would like to know more about how the flippers (mitten like) work. We have seen the skeleton and observed the scoop like motion used to eat. We are curious about how the skeleton works inside the skin. Can the flipper grab?
A: The bones in a manatee's flipper are similar to a human hand. The jointed "finger bones" of the flipper help the manatee move through the water, bring food to its mouth, and hold objects. In addition, three or four nails are found at the end of each flipper (FWCC, Manatee Anatomy).
Q: Would it be possible for us to meet one of the scientists and see one of the manatees we are tracking?
A: Wouldn't that be interesting! However, I can't answer that question for you. That would be up to the researchers at the Sirenia Project, since they are tracking the manatees.
From: Missouri
Quitman High School
dgun28@aol.com
Q: How are the manatees named?
A: The manatees are named by the manatee researchers who are tracking them. For example, Ranger Wayne Hartley usually names the manatees who winter at Blue Spring State Park.
From: New York
Public School 56 Queens - The Harry Eichler School
Q: How long does it take the manatee to have its food go through its digestive system?
A: It takes about seven days for food to pass through a manatee's digestive tract. Manatees are what is known as "hindgut digesters," meaning that most of their cellulose breakdown occurs in the large intestine. The horse is another animal that is a hindgut digester (Reynolds and Odell 46).
From: New York
Highview Elementary School
asexton@nufsd.lhric.org
Q:
Is there a way for manatees not to be hurt or killed by passing speedboats?A. All types of boats that are going too fast are dangerous to manatees. Most manatees only travel about 3-5 mph hour (they can go up to 20 mph in short bursts), so any boat that is traveling faster than 15-20 mph is capable of injuring or killing a manatee.
Q: What can people do to keep manatees from becoming extinct?
A: You'll be glad to know that there are lots of things that you can do. It doesn't matter whether you live in Florida or outside the state. Here's some ideas:
1) Write a letter to Florida's Governor and tell him that you support strong manatee protection in the state of Florida. This will help to illustrate to policy makers just how important manatees are. You can write, type, phone, fax, or e-mail. It doesn't matter whether you live in state or outside of Florida. ANY type of letter or a call helps!
The Honorable Jeb Bush
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: (850) 488-4441, Fax: (850) 487-0801
E-mail Governor Bush: jeb@myflorida.com
2) Next, write your U.S. senator and representative
(if you live in Florida, you can also write to your state senator and representative).
Tell them how important manatees are to you and ask them to support protection for
manatees and their habitat and to keep other environmental laws strong.
To get the name of your U.S. senator and representative, you can call (800) 688-9889.
You can also find out the name of your U.S. senators and representative as well as
contact information and their environmental voting record by visiting the
To find out the name of your Florida state senator, you can call the Florida Senate President's Office at (850) 487-5229 or the Florida Senate Secretary's Office at (850) 487-5270. To find out the name of your Florida state representative, you can call the Florida State Representative Clerk's Office at (850) 488-1157. You can also get this information by visiting the:
3) Join SMC's E-Mail Action Network. This is our
grassroots effort to inform local, state, and federal decision-makers about manatee
protection issues and how we feel about them. If you're interested in participating,
just e-mail SMC. Send your e-mail address to: action@savethemanatee.org
and specify "Email Action Alert Team" in the subject box.
4) You can also become a Club volunteer, no matter where
you live. SMC has volunteers both in AND outside of Florida. We even have members
living outside the U.S.! For more information on volunteering for SMC, send your
regular mailing address to: volunteer@savethemanatee.org
Note: You must be an SMC member to volunteer.
From: Texas
Episcopal High School
kfoster@ehshouston.org
Q: Why are manatees found in the waters of Florida yet not around Galveston even though both areas' water is warm?
Q: Why do manatees migrate about a hundred miles to South Florida each winter when the temperature of the water where they begin is about the same?
A: This should answer both of the questions above. Modern manatees evolved in the tropics and subtropics, so in spite of their size, they have very little body fat. They also have a very slow metabolism. These factors may account for their susceptibility to cold water. In the winter, generally November through March, manatees congregate at warm water sources, primarily in Florida, such as natural springs or warm water effluents of power plants. Water temperatures below 70 degrees (F) usually cause manatees to move into these warm water refuge areas.
Q: How are manatees able to survive both freshwater and saltwater while most other organisms cannot?
A: Manatees are mammals and so they surface to breathe air. Manatee intake of freshwater occurs while eating aquatic plants as well as drinking. Research suggests that manatees in saltwater do not need to drink freshwater for extended periods. This may explain why manatees can go so easily from fresh to saltwater environments. It also means that people do not need to give manatees water from hoses. Manatees can take of their own freshwater needs.
Nancy
SaduskyCommunications Director
Save the Manatee Club
500 N. Maitland Ave.
Maitland, FL 32751
For more information or to Adopt-A-Manatee:
1-800-432-JOIN (5646)
Copyright 2001 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form
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