If you are interested about manatees, there are a lot of places to look. You can consult an encyclopedia or check out various websites that feature facts about manatees.

Manatees are sea cows. Not that they live always at sea but because they look like the counterpart of cows on land. Just like land cows, the sea cows are also herbivores. They can eat 60 different species of plants. Mangrove leaves, certain kinds of algae and turtle grass make up their diet. They can easily get these kinds of plants by using their upper lip, which is divided. If manatees see some fish from nets, they may also consume them. On the average, these manatees can eat up to around 50 kg everyday. So if their habitat runs out of their usual diet, their very lives become endangered.

Unlike cows which do have four chambers of their stomach, the manatees have a simple stomach with large cecum to aid them in digesting the plants they eat. They also have long intestines.

The teeth of manatees have no pointed incisors. They just have cheek teeth that you won’t be able to determine from premolars and morals. The amazing thing is that this set of teeth is being replaced throughout their whole life. Old teeth just fall out forward as the new teeth grow at the rear. Usually though, they have a maximum of six teeth.

Since manatees are mammals, they have to remain warm. If their body temperature becomes too low, their metabolism and their general well-being will be affected. Their metabolism rate is already very low. If the water they are in becomes too cold, they will certainly get sick. Just like humans, they can contract pneumonia, they may find it difficult to eat, and might eventually lead to death.

The manatees usually live in tropical warm waters. During winter, these manatees migrate to Florida’s coastal rivers because of its warm waters. They wait for the winter to be over so they can go back to their usual habitats. Funny thing is, the manatees also converge nearby electric power plants that release warm water.

The lifestyle of manatees tends to be slow and that is why they are very much adaptable to aquatic life in shallow rivers and fresh water. Their front limbs help them swim and steer their directions while their tails shaped like a paddle provides the forward thrust. They also hold their food with their flexible limbs. There are more facts about manatees but one thing is certain, if they are not taken care of, they may be totally forgotten in the years to come.