We always hear about the manatees in Florida, but is there such thing as the Amazonian Manatee? Well believe it or not, there is. The Amazonian Manatee is just like the other manatees. The only difference is that it doesn’t live in the oceans, but in the black water lakes or rivers of the Amazon in the countries of Perú, Colombia, and Ecuador. The fact of it living in black water doesn’t affect it, since they are blind.
Amazonian manatees are aquatic animals. They come from the Sirenia family and are also known as "seacows". Their color is brownish gray and they have thick, wrinkled skin. They are 13 feet long and weigh about 3000 pounds. They are the smallest of all manatees and they have no nails in their flippers. Long ago, in the time of Christopher Columbus, early explorers confused these manatees with mermaids. Since these creatures are always in the water they have to search for their food there.
Amazonian manatees are herbivores or animals that only feed on plants and they eat freshwater plants from inland waterways, rivers, and lakes that are very similar to the many tributaries that are all over the Amazon. Manatees can eat up to 100 pounds of food a day. Manatees have a balanced diet, even though they only eat plants.
Over time, Amazonian manatees have adapted to survive in many ways to protect themselves. It evolved its forelimbs to flippers in order to swim faster. It also has lots of special fat called blubber to keep its body temperature adequate. Manatees also have many ways to protect themselves and their young. They protect themselves by living in black water and when they are alarmed, because danger is approaching, they swim about 4 to 5 meters deep. They protect their young by carrying them on their back or attached to their side. The mother always communicates with the calf by muzzle to muzzle contact and when they are afraid, they give chirpy squeaks. These animals have learned these techniques of protection, but they don’t save them from their dangers and enemies.
Amazonian manatees have several dangers they have to face. Their predators are humans, jaguars, and caimans. Long and dry seasons can be very dangerous for the Amazonian Manatee since they are used to hot and wet weather. Luckily, dry weather is not common in the Amazon. They are endangered because of the following reasons. The first one is that since they are shy and curious animals, they sometimes get trapped and killed by speedboats. Another reason is that humans hunt them for oil and fat to make water hoses and machine belts. Manatees are also endangered since they don’t reproduce so easily.
Manatees reproduce throughout the year, but females only produce one calf every two years. They attract their mate by making noises and by moving their flippers up and down. Their gestation period lasts about a year. Calves leave their parents after a year and they reach sexual maturity at age 4 to 8. Nobody really knows their life span, but it is said they live from 50 to 60 years.
The Amazonian
Manatee is a very fascinating animal and I really enjoyed writing a report
about it. I have learned how it is for this blind animal to survive through
the dangers of the Amazon. If I ever drive in a speedboat in the jungle,
I am going to make sure that there are no manatees near it, so that the
blades of the boat don’t kill them. I hope the rest of the humans do the
same thing. It was a new and wonderful experience to research about this
animal. I hope I see it when I go to the Jungle!
Bibliography:
-http://jajhs.kana.k12.wv.us/amazon/manat1.htm
-www.cep.unep.org/kids/cb06.html
-www.animalinfo.org/kids/cb06.html
-www.seatrek.org/curriculum/manatees.pdf
-www.enchantedlearning.com
