West Indian Manatee [Trichechus manatus]
Description
The West Indian Manatee is a large, slow-moving aquatic mammal that inhabits the warm coastal waters and rivers of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the southeastern United States. It is characterized by a large, round body that tapers to a flat, paddle-shaped tail, with two flippers at the front of the body. West Indian Manatees have a wrinkled, brownish-grey skin, and their face features a whiskered snout. They are herbivores, feeding on a variety of submerged, emergent, and shoreline vegetation. They are known for their gentle nature and are primarily solitary animals, although they are occasionally seen in small groups.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Mammals
Mammalia
|
| Order |
Sirenians
Sirenia
|
| Family |
Manatees
Trichechidae
|
| Genus |
West Indian Manatee
Trichechus
|