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West Indian Manatee — printable fact sheet
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West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
The manatee's closest living relatives are elephants — not whales or seals — and the kinship shows in its thick grey hide, its nails, and the way it handles its teeth. Manatees have "marching molars": worn teeth at the front are shed and replaced by new ones travelling forward f…
Did you know?
- The bones in a manatee's flipper contain finger-like structures, similar to a human hand, which help them manipulate food and navigate their environment.
- Manatees are more closely related to elephants than to whales or seals — and still have nails on their flippers. Their molars "march" forward through life, replacing teeth ground down by gritty seagrass. Despite their bulk they carry little fat, so cold water can kill them. Researchers routinely identify individuals by the propeller scars on their backs.
What I learned
Draw the west indian manatee
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