The manatee is found on the Caribbean in Costa Rica. The West Indian manatee is a marine mammal that weighs over 395kg (1,000 lbs) and is a herbivore that looks like a walrus. Sometimes referred to as a sea cow, it is endangered and lives in Tortuguero National Park or Gandoca-Manzanillo National Park.

Manatee Appearance

Scientists believe that the manatee is more closely related to the elephant than the walrus and it is believed that it evolved on land and returned to aquatic life. The manatee can weigh up to 800kg (2,000 lbs) and reach more than 3.65m (12 ft). Its body can only be supported in the aquatic environment because it is so large. Its large body weight would crush its internal organs if it came ashore.

The manatee has flexible front limbs which it uses to steer as it swims. It uses its limbs to hold food. At the end of its body is a large paddle shaped tail. This powerful tail pushes it through the water at 1-3 km (3-5 mi) per hour.

The manatee does not have front teeth but only has molars. It is similar to the elephant in this respect, as it has fours sets of 6 to 8 molars. When the front molar wears down, it will shed the molar and the teeth behind move forward. A new tooth emerges at the back.

The manatee has a large split upper lip which helps it to move food into its mouth. The lip has a special ridged pad that breaks food into smaller pieces before the molar grinds the food.

Manatees are the only marine mammal that are herbivores. They eat up to 10 times their body weight each day which is about 40kg (100 lbs) of plants. Keeping warm for the manatee is a concern as its body does not conserve heat well and, therefore, eats continuously to keep warm.  It also does not have the blubber of other marine mammals.

Manatee Behavior & Habitat

Most manatees live in warm tropical waters and used to be found from Florida throughout the Caribbean coast of Central America.  Because it finds it difficult to keep warm, the manatee will seek out the natural warms springs of coastal rivers.

The manatee breathes air and must rise to the surface every 20 minutes to breathe. When active, it rises every 3-5 minutes to breathe. It exchanges about 90% of the air in its lungs: humans exchange about 10% of the air. The higher ratio of fresh oxygen in its lungs allows the manatee to remain under water for longer. A manatee is able to breathe through its nose and has a flap that seals the nostril when it dives.

The manatee is a solitary animal and comes together during mating season. Several males will gather around the female and form a mating herd. After mating, the manatee resumes its solitary life. The manatees reaches maturity and is able to breed at about 10 years of age.

The gestation for a manatees is one year and a manatee has a cow once every 3-5 years. The cow and calf bond and touch appears to be important to this relationship. The calf nurses for about a year and stays with its mother for up to two years. A manatee calf can weigh up to 30kg (70 lbs) and can be up to 1.2m (50 inches) long at birth.