Because all species of the manatee use fresh water in varying ways, what is the only strictly marine herbivorous mammal?
"the Secretary of Commerce, which is delegated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Subsequently, a third Federal agency, the Marine Mammal Commission (MMC), was established to review existing policies and make recommendations to the Service and the NOAA better implement the MMPA. Coordination between these three Federal agencies is necessary in order to provide the best management practices for marine mammals. Under the MMPA, the Service is responsible for ensuring the protection of sea otters and marine otters, walruses, polar bears, three species of manatees, and dugongs. NOAA was given responsibility to conserve and manage pinnipeds including seals"
"manatee is the only sirenian that lives exclusively in freshwater habitat. The species relies on changes in the peripheral circulation for its primary mechanism for thermoregulation by using sphincters to deflect blood flow from areas of the body in close contact with water. They also rely on subcutaneous fat to reduce heat loss. Manatees have nostrils, not blowholes like other aquatic mammals, which close when under water to keep water out and open when above water to breath. Although manatees can remain under water for extended periods, surfacing for air about every five minutes is common. The longest documented submergence"
"be forms of communication. Manatees are herbivores and eat over 60 different freshwater ( e.g. floating hyacinth, pickerel weed, alligator weed, water lettuce, hydrilla, water celery, musk grass, mangrove leaves) and saltwater plants (e.g. sea grasses, shoal grass, manatee grass, turtle grass, widgeon grass, sea clover, and marine algae). Using their divided upper lip, an adult manatee will commonly eat up to 10%–15% of their body weight (about 50 kg) per day. Consuming such an amount requires the manatee to graze for up to seven hours a day. To be able to cope with the high levels of cellulose in"
"in calm, shallow waters, away from human settlements The Amazonian manatee is completely aquatic and never leaves the water. It is the only manatee to occur exclusively in freshwater environments. The Amazonian manatee favors backwater lakes, oxbows, and lagoons with deep connections to large rivers and abundant aquatic vegetation They are mainly solitary but sometimes they will gather in small groups consisting of up to eight individuals. They engage in long seasonal movements, moving from flooded areas during the wet season to deep water-bodies during the dry season Natural predators include jaguars, sharks, and crocodiles. The IUCN red list ranks"
"the only manatees known to vocalize. They have been observed vocalizing alone and with others, particularly between cows and their calves. The manatees themselves feed on a variety of aquatic macrophytes, including aroids (especially ""Pistia"", aka ""water lettuce""), grasses, bladderworts, hornworts, water lilies, and particularly, water hyacinths. They are also known to eat palm fruits that fall into the water. Maintaining a herbivorous diet, the manatee has a similar post-gastric digestive process to that of the horse. The manatee consumes approximately 8% of its body weight in food per day. During the July–August dry season when water levels begin to"
"Aquatic mammal Aquatic and semiaquatic mammals are a diverse group of mammals that dwell partly or entirely in bodies of water. They include the various marine mammals who dwell in oceans, as well as various freshwater species, such as the European otter. They are not a taxon and are not unified by any distinct biological grouping, but rather their dependence on and integral relation to aquatic ecosystems. The level of dependence on aquatic life are vastly different among species, with the Amazonian manatee and river dolphins being completely aquatic and fully dependent on aquatic ecosystems; whereas the Baikal seal feeds"
"Manatee conservation Manatees are large marine mammals that inhabit slow rivers, canals, saltwater bays, estuaries, and coastal areas. They are a migratory species, inhabiting the Florida waters during the winter and moving as far north as Virginia and as far west as Texas in the warmer summer months. Manatees are calm herbivores that spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and traveling. They have a lifespan of about 60 years with no known natural enemies. Some of their deaths are the result of human activity. In the past, manatees were exploited for their meat, fat, and hides. Various human activities"
"Dwarf manatee The dwarf manatee (""Trichechus pygmaeus"", or mistakenly ""Trichechus bernhardi"") is a possible species of manatee found in the freshwater habitats of the Amazon, though restricted to one tributary of the Aripuanã River. According to Marc van Roosmalen, the scientist who proposed it as a new species, it lives in shallow, fast-running water, and feeds on different species of aquatic plants from the Amazonian manatee, which prefers deeper, slower-moving waters and the plants found there. The dwarf manatee reportedly migrates upriver during the rainy season when the river floods to the headwaters and shallow ponds. Based on its small"
"was filled with ""idea balls."" The manatees randomly selected the idea balls to make the jokes for the show. They are also revealed as being ""the only animal unmoved by terrorist threats."" The manatee is also pivotal in ""Lair of the Leviathan"", the third episode of the game Tales of Monkey Island, by Telltale Games and Lucasarts. Manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee (""Trichechus inunguis""),"
"active hunters, so, like the alligator snapping turtle, they need less space than a large, active species. As with all aquatic turtles, water quality is one of the keys to keeping this species successfully in captivity. Warm, acidic water is the best type used with a high tannin content that should be maintained all year round. Moderate to heavy filtration is recommended. Mata mata The mata mata, mata-mata, or matamata (""Chelus fimbriata"") is a freshwater turtle found in South America, primarily in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. It is the only extant species in the genus Chelus. The mata mata"
"are herbivores; however, they also eat clams, mollusks, and fish found in nets. The percentage of the diet that is composed of non-plant material varies based on location . With manatees living off the coast having a lifetime average of 50% non-plant material . The West African manatee is the only Sirenian that seems to intentionally consume non-plant material. A majority of the African manatee's diet is made up of a variety of flora found above or hanging over the water. African manatees that inhabit rivers mostly eat the overhanging plants growing on the river banks. The diet of African"
"Manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee (""Trichechus inunguis""), the West Indian manatee (""Trichechus manatus""), and the West African manatee (""Trichechus senegalensis""). They measure up to long, weigh as much as , and have paddle-like flippers. The etymology of the name is dubious, with connections having been made to Latin ""manus"" (hand), and to a word sometimes cited as ""manati"" used by the Taíno, a pre-Columbian"
"leaves if this is not possible. Manatees, in particular the West Indian manatee, are known to consume over 60 different freshwater and saltwater plants, such as shoalweed, water lettuce, muskgrass, manatee grass, and turtle grass. Using their divided upper lip, an adult manatee will commonly eat up to 10%-15% of their body weight, or , per day, which requires the manatee to graze for several hours per day. However, 10% of the diet of the African manatee is fish and mollusks. Manatees have been known to eat small amounts of fish from nets. As opposed to bulk feeding, dugongs target"
"it is assumed that they do this to gather information about reproductive status or dominance indicating the important role chemoreception plays in the social and reproductive behavior of manatees. Manatees are obligate herbivores that feed on over 60 species of aquatic plants in both fresh and salt water. In addition, when the tide is high enough, they will also feed on grasses and leaves. They also consume some fish and small invertebrates. While many manatees are known to eat a large quantity throughout the day, the amount they eat depends on their body size and activity level. Manatees typically graze"
"making it possible for them to consume salt water without losing fresh water. However, pinnipeds and cetaceans typically regulate their water balance by metabolism and only drink sea water occasionally to maintain salt balance. In contrast, sea otters and manatees often drink sea and fresh water. Reniculate kidney The reniculate kidney is a multilobed kidney found in marine and aquatic mammals such as pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses) and cetaceans (dolphins and whales) but absent in terrestrial mammals except bears. Kidneys of this morphology have increased surface area for removing toxins from the body more efficiently than a non-lobed"
"celebrates Manatee Awareness Month during November, which has been endorsed by comedian Alec Baldwin. Manatee conservation Manatees are large marine mammals that inhabit slow rivers, canals, saltwater bays, estuaries, and coastal areas. They are a migratory species, inhabiting the Florida waters during the winter and moving as far north as Virginia and as far west as Texas in the warmer summer months. Manatees are calm herbivores that spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and traveling. They have a lifespan of about 60 years with no known natural enemies. Some of their deaths are the result of human activity. In"
"Marine iguana The marine iguana (""Amblyrhynchus cristatus""), also known as the sea iguana, saltwater iguana, or Galápagos marine iguana, is a species of iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile. This iguana feeds almost exclusively on algae and large males dive to find this food source, while females and smaller males feed during low tide in the intertidal zone. They mainly live in colonies on rocky shores where they warm after visiting the relatively cold water or intertidal zone, but can"
"Ostariophysians account for about 68% of all freshwater species; in fact, there are only about 123 marine species (Chanidae, Gonorynchidae, most Ariidae, about half of Plotosidae). They are present on all continents and major land masses except Antarctica, Greenland, and New Zealand. This group includes a wide variety of different fishes. It contains one of the largest freshwater fish ever caught, the Mekong giant catfish, which can weigh up to about 300 kg. It also contains the smallest species of freshwater fish, ""Danionella translucida"" at only 12 mm in length. Some of these fish are able to breathe atmospheric oxygen"
"Marine mammal Marine mammals are aquatic mammals that rely on the ocean and other marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as seals, whales, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. They do not represent a distinct taxon or systematic grouping, but rather have a polyphyletic relation due to convergent evolution, as in they do not have an immediate common ancestor. They are also unified by their reliance on the marine environment for feeding. Marine mammal adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle varies considerably between species. Both cetaceans and sirenians are fully aquatic and therefore are obligate water dwellers. Seals"
"in this lifestyle (more correctly known as carnivorous ""micro-predation""). Of the 18 carnivorous species, nine migrate from saltwater to freshwater to breed (some of them also have freshwater populations), and nine live exclusively in freshwater. All non-carnivorous forms are freshwater species. Adults of the non-carnivorous species do not feed; they live off reserves acquired as ammocoetes (larvae), which they obtain through filter feeding. Lampreys live mostly in coastal and fresh waters, although some species (e.g. ""Geotria australis"", ""Petromyzon marinus"", and ""Entosphenus tridentatus"") travel significant distances in the open ocean, as evidenced by their lack of reproductive isolation between populations. Some"
"Water opossum The water opossum (""Chironectes minimus""), also locally known as the yapok (), is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae. It is the only living member of its genus, Chironectes. This semiaquatic creature is found in and near the freshwater streams and lakes in Mexico, Central, South America to Argentina and is the most aquatic living marsupial (the lutrine opossum also has aquatic habits). It is also the only living marsupial in which both sexes have a pouch. The thylacine, commonly referred to as the Tasmanian tiger, also exhibited this trait, but is now believed to be extinct. The"
"to the water by vultures, frigate birds, crabs, raccoons, coyotes, iguanas, and snakes. In the water, hatchling predators most likely include oceanic fishes, sharks, and crocodiles. Adults have relatively few known predators, other than sharks, and killer whales are responsible for occasional attacks. On land, nesting females may be attacked by jaguars. Notably, the jaguar is the only cat with a strong enough bite to penetrate a sea turtle's shell, thought to be an evolutionary adaption from the Holocene extinction event. In observations of jaguar attacks, the cats consumed the neck muscles of the turtle and occasionally the flippers, but"
"of only two diurnal marsupials, the numbat is the only Australian mammal to feed exclusively on termites. Despite the establishment of several populations by the Department of Environment and Conservation, it is still classified as endangered by the IUCN. Perth Zoo has been breeding numbats for release into the wild since 1986. The first successful birth was in 1993. By early 2011, 165 numbats had been provided by the zoo for release into protected habitat. The western swamp tortoise (""Pseudemydura umbrina"") is a short-necked freshwater tortoise and Australia's most critically endangered reptile. The western swamp tortoise has only been recorded"
"As a whole, pinnipeds can be found in a variety of aquatic habitats, including coastal water, open ocean, brackish water and even freshwater lakes and rivers. Most species inhabit coastal areas, though some travel offshore and feed in deep waters off oceanic islands. The Baikal seal is the only freshwater species, though some ringed seals live in freshwater lakes in Russia close to the Baltic sea. In addition, harbor seals may visit estuaries, lakes and rivers and sometimes stay as long as a year. Other species known to enter freshwater include California sea lions and South American sea lions. Pinnipeds"
"marine mammal species such as seals, dolphins, whales, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. They do not represent a distinct taxon or systematic grouping, but are instead unified by their reliance on the marine environment for feeding. Both cetaceans and sirenians are fully aquatic and therefore are obligate water dwellers. Seals and sea-lions are semiaquatic; they spend the majority of their time in the water, but need to return to land for important activities such as mating, breeding and molting. In contrast, both otters and the polar bear are much less adapted to aquatic living. Their diet varies considerably as"
"underwater but rests, molts, and breeds on land; and the capybara and hippopotamus are able to venture in and out of water in search of food. Mammal adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle vary considerably between species. River dolphins and manatees are both fully aquatic and therefore are completely tethered to a life in the water. Seals are semiaquatic; they spend the majority of their time in the water, but need to return to land for important activities such as mating, breeding and molting. In contrast, many other aquatic mammals, such as rhinoceroses, capybara, and water shrews, are much less adapted"
"into the Manatee Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Release Program managed by the USFWS. In 2012 the program became the Manatee Rescue/ Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) with permitting and oversight by the USFWS. From 1973 through 2014, this program rescued 1,619 manatees and 526 Florida manatees have been released. Sirenia The Sirenia, commonly referred to as sea cows or sirenians, are an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters. The Sirenia currently comprise the families Dugongidae (the dugong) and Trichechidae (manatees) with a total of four species. The Protosirenidae (Eocene sirenians) and Prorastomidae"
"It is unknown what ""Mictocaris"" eats, but it has developed powerful molar and mandible muscles which allows them to chew productively. When originally found, the divers collected 56 specimens of ""Mictocaris"", which can now be found in the National Museum of Natural History. ""Mictocaris"" is critically endangered due to population fragmentation, decline in subpopulations, and only inhabiting a single location. The population is only extant in five locations, some of which are likely experiencing habitat destruction. Mictocaris Mictocaris halope is the only species of freshwater crustacean in the monotypic genus Mictocaris. It is placed in its own family, Mictocarididae, and"
"manatees living in estuaries consists solely of mangrove trees. Each day, the African manatee eats about four to nine percent of its body weight in wet vegetation. Microorganisms within the African manatee's large intestine, which measures up to in length, aid it in digesting the large quantity and variety of vegetation that it consumes daily. The African manatee's body is widest at the middle, and its tail resembles a paddle. The manatee is gray in color with small, colorless hairs that cover its body. However, algae and other tiny organisms often grow on an African manatee's body, so its body"
"of an Amazonian manatee in captivity is 14 minutes. Manatees make seasonal movements synchronized with the flood regime of the Amazon Basin. They are found in flooded forests and meadows during the flood season, when food is abundant. The Amazonian manatee has the smallest degree of rostral deflection (25° to 41°) among sirenians, an adaptation to feed closer to the water surface. It is both nocturnal and diurnal and lives its life almost entirely underwater. Only its nostrils protrude from the surface of the water while it searches river and lake bottoms for vegetation. The Amazonian and Florida manatees are"
"in every country in which it lives, but these laws are not well enforced. Due to this mass lack of enforcement and minimal education, the African manatee population is being steadily depleted. African manatee The African manatee (""Trichechus senegalensis""), also known as the West African manatee or sea cow, is a species of manatee that is mostly herbivorous. African manatees inhabit much of the western region of Africa – from Senegal to Angola. Although scientists do not know a great deal about this species, they hypothesize that the African manatee is very similar to the West Indian manatee (""Trichechus manatus"")."
"Amphibious caterpillar Amphibious caterpillar refers to 12 as-yet unnamed species of caterpillars endemic to Hawaii that are the only insects that live as readily in water as on land. In 2010, Daniel Rubinoff and Patrick Schmitz at the University of Hawaii at Manoa first described the amphibious habits of the larvae in the moth genus ""Hyposmocoma"" of the family Cosmopterigidae of order Gelechioidea. Young of each species thrive both underwater in rushing streams and exposed to air on rocks poking out of the water. Rubinoff states, “These species are at least as different as chimpanzees are from us”. While some"
"the manatee's status from endangered to threatened in January 2016 after more than 40 years of the manatee's being classified as on the endangered. Fossil remains of Florida manatee ancestors date back about 45 million years. The freshwater Amazonian manatee (""T. inunguis"") inhabits the Amazon River and its tributaries, and never ventures into salt water. They are found in coastal marine and estuarine habitats, and in freshwater river systems along the west coast of Africa from the Senegal River south to the Cuanza River in Angola. They live as far upriver on the Niger River as Koulikoro in Mali, 2,000"