November 13th, 2017, 10:10 am
"The creatures really looked strange and did not look like a whale, or a shark, or a walrus, or a seal, or a beluga whale, or a seal, or a stingray, or an octopus, or a cuttlefish."
“They had a spindle-shaped body, twenty or thirty feet long, and instead of hind flippers, they had a flat tail, neither give nor take a shovel of wet leather. Their heads were the most ridiculous shape imaginable, and when they looked up from their food, they began to swing on their tail, ceremoniously bowing to all sides and waving their front flippers, like a fat man in a restaurant beckoning a waiter. ".
The last sea cow (Stellerova, by the name of the discoverer - Georg Steller) was destroyed in 1768, not so distant in the past, when the Bering Sea was also called Bobrov.
Particularly surprising is the fact that these animals were found in ice waters, although, as you know, their only relatives completely limited their habitats to warm tropical seas.
The northern sea cow is a relative of the manatee and dugong. But in comparison with them, she was a real giant and weighed about three and a half tons.
Well, since we are not destined to see the Steller's cow in the foreseeable future (ghostly hope for cloning), and dugongs live mostly off the coast of Australia, then there are manatees, or Manatee, as they are called in America.
While on a short getaway on Florida's West Coast, we just couldn't pass up the chance not to try and see the manatees. And the season was right: winter and spring are the best times. The animals are extremely thermophilic, and in cold weather they huddle in the warm coastal waters of Florida.
“It was not easy for Kitty: a herd of Sea Cows swam only forty or fifty miles a day, stopped feeding at night and kept close to the shore all the time. The cat climbed straight out of his skin - he swam around them, swam above them, swam under them, but it was not possible to stir them up in any way. As they moved to the north, they more and more often stopped for their silent meetings, and Kitty almost chewed off his mustache out of annoyance, but noticed in time that they were not floating at random, but adhered to a warm current - and here for the first time he was imbued with a well-known respect for them ”.
Manatees are also often attracted to thermal power plants that drain warm water. Accustomed to this constant source of unnatural heat, the manatees stopped migrating.
And since no new fossil-fueled power plants should be commissioned in the world after 2017, and the old ones are often targeted by radical climate activists, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to find another way to heat water for manatees.
Manatees are committed vegetarians. Due to their very heavy skeleton, they easily sink to the bottom, where they feed on algae and grasses, eating a huge amount of them.
The flippers have flat, nail-like hooves that resemble elephant's. One of the unique features that unite manatees with elephants is the constant change of molars, generally uncharacteristic for mammals. New plate teeth appear further down the jaw and gradually displace old and worn teeth forward ("marching molars").
The manatee has not seven cervical vertebrae, but six. Which is unique to the mammalian class, where the neck is usually formed by seven vertebrae, whether it's a mouse or a giraffe. There are only two exceptions - a three-toed sloth with nine cervical vertebrae and a manatee with six.
“But the Sea Cows were silent for one simple reason: they are speechless. They have only six cervical vertebrae, instead of seven, and experienced sea inhabitants assure that this is why they are not even able to communicate with each other. But, as you already know, they have an extra joint in their front flippers, and thanks to its mobility, the Sea Cows can exchange signs that partly resemble a telegraph code. "
Our Florida base was on Longboat Key Island, at the southern end of which was South Lido Mangrove, a famous sea cow habitat (yes, manatees are still called that, although this is not entirely true). In one of the offices at the entrance to the park, we rented two kayaks, received a good detailed laminated (!) Map of mangrove tunnels, and went to look for cows.
The waterway ran through the mangroves. Mangroves are evergreen deciduous plants that have settled on tropical and subtropical coasts, and have adapted to life in a constant ebb and flow (up to 10-15 times a month). They are rather large in height, several human heights, and have bizarre types of roots: stilted (lifting a tree above the water) and respiratory (pneumatophores) sticking out of the soil and absorbing oxygen.
How fun it was to walk through the mangrove tunnels, almost touching our heads against the tightly intertwined arches of wood. Black mangrove crabs, half a finger in size, rolled down from the roots in whole placers as we approached. But it was hardly worth looking for sea cows here, so soon we went out into the open water of the bay.
The warning sign “Manatee zone: slow speed” indicated that there must be sea cows right here. Manatees often fall under the propellers of boats and motor boats, get entangled in fishing nets and hooks, so with the help of such signs they at least somehow try to protect animals from injury.
But there were no cows. Not here, not further. Somewhat disappointed, they completed the kayak route, disembarked, finished with all the chores, and were about to leave, when the manati swam straight to the shore. Not one, not two, but four - two females with cubs.
Usually, a female manatee has one cub every 3-5 years, very rarely - twins. Pregnancy lasts about 9 months. Fertility peaks in April-May. Childbirth takes place under water. A newly born manatee is about 1 meter long and weighs 20-30 kg. Immediately after birth, the mother lifts the baby on her back to the surface of the water for its first breath. For about 45 minutes more, the baby usually remains lying on the mother's back, gradually recovering, and then they again plunge into the water.
The mother feeds the baby with milk for a long time, although after three weeks he can eat algae. Instead, they will spend about two years, and then the manatee will go free swimming.
We stood at the very shore, and one of the mothers swam almost right up. Research has shown that manatees have poor eyesight. But they have a keen hearing, and, judging by the large olfactory lobes of the brain, a good sense of smell. The mantikha flared her nostrils in a funny way, and even seemed to grunt. Or snorted. I don’t know how we deserved such attention from their side, but after making a few laps, the mothers and babies swam in a dignified manner towards the big water.
Well, the topic of manatees could be closed and ticked: seen in the wild. But we decided that for a complete picture it would be nice to look at the sea cows in more detail. The easiest way to do this is in a laboratory aquarium that specializes in the study of manatees. The Mote Marine lab is located in Sarasota, on the opposite end of the same island.
The number of manatees found in Florida waters is approximately 6,250. Manatees are native to the United States, as proven by fossils. Depending on the time of year, they can often be found in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. In very rare cases, manatees can swim even far north - they were seen in Massachusetts.
Manatees can live for at least half a century. And the oldest representative of its kind is officially considered a manatee named Snooty ("Snooty" - "arrogant"). He spent his 68 years in Bradenton, Florida, where he was brought to the aquarium at the age of 11 months in 1949. The official title of the oldest manatee is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. In the wild, sea cows typically do not live up to 10 years of age.
In the aquarium of the Mote laboratory, there are two manatee brothers: Hugh and Buffett. Their favorite pastime is to chew. Each of the brothers kills about 80 cabbage heads per day. Their characters are completely different. If Buffett kept closer to the bottom, preferring distant corners so that it was not so clearly visible, Hugh with all his foolishness was sticking his heel to the glass, and even seemed to laugh.
The high activity level is probably the reason that Hugh, who is three years older than Buffett, actually weighs 300 kg less! This vividness of his, in addition to the presence of two small scars on his right shoulder (the results of two abscesses that were surgically removed), makes Hugh easily recognizable. He behaved like a playful, 500-kilogram kitten, which in no way corresponded to a respectable 30-year-old age.
Although all species of manatees are endangered, there is little knowledge of how these animals function in the wild. Hugh and Buffett help scientists learn more through several research programs. Mote's lab tries to answer some of the most basic questions, including: How well does the manatee see? (Have already proven that it is very bad). What is the function of facial whiskers called vibrissae? How much air does the manatee “swallow” when it comes to the surface? Finally, how can we help sick and injured manatees in the wild?
In addition to manatees, sea turtles, sharks, jellyfish, and about a hundred (!) Species of various animals live in the laboratory's aquariums. So it will be interesting for everyone who visits the sea cows.
Location: Florida, USA.
Katerina Andreeva.
www.andreev.org
What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase "extinct animals"? Surely the first is dinosaurs. But, unfortunately, there are many species that were destroyed by humans not so long ago. One of these was the sea cow.
Sea (Steller's) cow or cabbage
A herbivorous mammal characterized by an aquatic lifestyle. Hydrodamalis gigas belongs to the order of sirens. In another way, they are also called Steller's cow, or also cabbage.
The genus consists of only two species: Hydrodamalis Cuesta and Steller's cow. The first - hydrodamalis - according to scientists, is the ancestor of the second.
Hydrodamalis Cuesta
Hydrodamalis Cuesta was discovered and described in 1978, thanks to the remains found in California. It is believed that this species became extinct about 2 million years ago. The exact reasons are not known, but, most likely, their disappearance provoked a cold snap and the beginning of the ice age, which changed the habitat and reduced the food supply.
However, it is likely that it was the extinction of Hydrodamalis that contributed to the emergence of Steller cows.
Their habitat is considered to be the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, since the animals preferred calm waters.
There they were provided with plant food in the right amount. And given the size of the animals, it took a lot of it.
Steller's cow is a calm and peaceful animal. By the way, it is for their lifestyle and peaceful disposition that they got their name: an analogy with their land namesake.
In the name "sea, or Steller's, cow" the first word is a generic designation, the second is a specific one. Sometimes this species is called "cabbage", starting from the type of food.
Discovery history
Sea cows were first seen in 1741.
The ship "Saint Peter" under the command of Vitus Bering crashed during the expedition.
This happened while trying to anchor off the island, which was later named after Bering. On the ship was a naturalist and expedition doctor, Georg Steller.
At that time, he was the only person with a natural science education. It was he who saw and described this species in detail.
After the shipwreck, while on the coast, he noticed several large oblong objects in the sea.
From a distance, Steller mistook them for the bottoms of overturned boats. However, he then realized that these were the backs of large aquatic animals.
Using the example of a female cabbage, Steller designed sketches, observations on nutrition and lifestyle.
The first sea cow was hunted precisely on this expedition, but not immediately, but only after ten months of their stay on the island - 6 weeks before sailing.
It is possible that it was the meat of this animal that helped and saved the travelers during the construction of the new ship.
Later reports of other scientists, one way or another, are based on the work of G. Steller "On the sea animals."
The German zoologist, E. Zimmermann, described the sea cow as a new species in 1780.
A. Ya. Retzius, a Swedish biologist, in 1794 gave the binomial name, which has become generally recognized - Hydrodamalis gigas. Translated literally means "water cow".
Appearance
The body sizes of Steller cows were large: length - 7-10 meters, weight - 4-10 tons. The massive body was spindle-shaped, and against its background the head looked small. However, she was mobile.
The limbs are short with rounded ends: they resembled flippers. The hands were reduced, since the phalanges of the fingers were mostly atrophied. The forepaws had a horny outgrowth similar to a hoof.
This structure helped the sea cows move along the bottom, breaking off the algae.
The body ended with a tail with a two-lobed fin, like that of cetaceans.
Surprisingly, the clumsy Steller cows, if necessary, could move very quickly with the help of vertical tail flaps.
The lips of the marine herbivores were soft and mobile. They were covered with the so-called vibrissae, which were as thick as the core of a chicken feather.
The upper lip was undivided. The sea cow's teeth were missing. But this did not prevent them from absorbing food in huge quantities. They used two horn plates to grind the food.
The tiny ear holes were small and inconspicuous among the folds of dense skin.
According to G. Steller, the cabbage had a thick skin like the bark of an oak tree. Later research revealed that the cows' cover resembled modern rubber. Surely, such skin performed a protective function.
The eyes were also medium-sized - no larger than those of a sheep, according to some eyewitnesses.
An interesting but unclear fact remains sexual dimorphism in sea cows. Most likely, the males were slightly larger than the females.
The animals did not give sound signals. They could only snort when they breathe out, or groan when wounded. A developed inner ear indicates excellent hearing. But, according to the available information, the marine herbivores did not react to the noise of the approaching boats.
Behavior
Sedentary and clumsy animals spent most of their lives eating food.
They swam slowly and preferred shallow water to be able to lean on the ground with the help of large fins.
Research by scientists showed that Steller cows were monogamous, living in families in large herds.
The diet consisted of coastal algae and seaweed. The cows had a high life expectancy - about 90 years. This is due to the fact that herbivores did not have natural enemies.
Steller pointed out in his work that the causes of death could only be the winter period, when the cows were under the ice, or strong storms, during which the animals hit the stones.
Zoologists believe that the docile nature of sea cows could allow them to be tamed, made the first aquatic pets.
Cabbage hunting
Of course, the main reason for the disappearance of Steller cows as a species is humans.
Hunting them, people destroyed beautiful animals.
The main reason for hunting is to get meat.
Even during Bering's expedition, people noticed that up to 3 tons of meat can be obtained from one individual.
This amount was enough to feed more than 30 people for a whole month.
The melted fat from the subcutaneous fat of marine animals was used for lighting: poured into a lamp, it burned without odor and soot.
The skin of cabbage, strong and thick, was used in the manufacture of boats.
Related species
Despite the fact that sea cows are considered completely extinct, there is a related species, which, according to scientists, is as close to them as possible. This is a dugong.
Both species belong to the same family, but the dugong is the only modern member at the moment.
The dugong is smaller: body length - up to 6 m, weight - up to 600 kg, skin thickness - about 3 cm.
The largest population of dugongs - 10 thousand individuals - lives in the Torres Strait and off the coast of the Great Barrier Reef.
Surely, you will not be surprised by the fact that the dugong is now listed in the Red Book as a vulnerable species.
Man does not miss the opportunity to turn a wonderful animal into an object of fishing, since it has a structure and lifestyle similar to sea cows.
Steller's cow - an extinct animal
Officially, the cabbage is considered an extinct animal listed in the Black Book, thanks to its active extermination.
At the time when the species was just discovered, it already had a small number. According to some reports, the number of cabbage at the time of the discovery was about 3 thousand individuals.
Given these circumstances, the permissible slaughter rate should have been 15 individuals per year. But in reality, this figure was exceeded 10 times.
As a result, in 1768 the last representatives of this species disappeared from the face of the earth.
Unfortunately, the sea cows themselves made the task easier for people. The fact is that they did not know how to dive, did not move much and were not afraid of people.
Periodically, of course, there are reports that Steller cows have been spotted in some remote corners of the ocean. But, nevertheless, scientists will answer the question "whether the sea cow is extinct" in the affirmative, since there is not a single proof to the contrary.
Of course, enthusiasts and some cryptozoologists believe in the existence of a small population at the moment. They even suggested their habitat: remote areas of the Kamchatka Territory. But this information has no confirmation.
And recently there was information that cabbage can be cloned using biological material obtained from discovered skin and bone samples.
The sea cow is a huge sea animal. Initially, there were about 20 species of this animal, however, 3 main types are known to man:
- steller cow
Steller's cow was exterminated in the 18th century. Approximately immediately after its description, people began to massively exterminate this species because of the very tasty meat and fat. Now all the remaining species of sea cows are forbidden to be killed or caught, as they are declared an endangered mammal.
Description
The weight of one adult individual is about 600 kg, but there were also larger specimens of 800 - 900 kg. The length ranges from 3 to 7 meters. The body is heavy, spindle-shaped.
The upper lip and nose resembled a trunk. They had no teeth, instead of them there were two horny plates - on the lower jaw and on the palate. They have small eyes.
The tail resembles a large paddle. Thanks to him, the manatee can easily swim, play, or even defend himself if necessary. True, the latter will not help much, because despite the fact that the manatee is very strong, the main hunters for it are the tiger shark, and against which such a tail is powerless.
The front fins are fairly small. They are designed to scoop up silt at the bottom and extract various vegetation.
Habitat
Manatees by habitat and features are divided into three main varieties, namely:
- African. African sea cows are slightly darker than their counterparts, they live in warm equatorial rivers and on the west African coast;
- Amazonian. Amazonian manatees live in fresh water, because their skin is smoother and more shiny, and on the belly you can find a white or pinkish spot;
- American. American manatees are the largest members of the genus. They can live in both sea and salt water, and are most commonly found in the Caribbean.
The great depth is not suitable for these mammals. After all, there are many dangers, because they prefer shallow water up to 3 meters deep.
Nutrition. Lifestyle
Sea cows feed on plants, at the bottom of rivers and seas, that is, algae of various types. In the morning and in the evening, it is time to eat. And during the day they rest on the seabed, once, in a few minutes, rising to the surface to breathe the air.
Manatees consume up to 20% of their weight every day. Therefore, they are often relocated to areas where too abundant marine vegetation pollutes the water. Thus, the manatees purify the seas and rivers. They are slow, calm and good-natured animals.
Reproduction
Sea cows are solitary by nature. However, in the event of a threat to their relatives or at certain moments in life, they stick together to protect or raise offspring. During the mating season, females are courted by several males.
Pregnancy lasts approximately one year. A newborn manatee weighs about 30 kilograms and does not exceed 1.4 meters in size. At this time, he is very vulnerable, because the female does not leave him, and gradually teaches him to survive, find food, and so on.
Two years later, the lamanteness begins an independent life without a mother. Although these animals are loners, however, it is believed that the bond between mother and cub lasts almost their entire life. Also, despite the fact that these are very modest animals that do not really like the presence of people, there were cases when they themselves swam up to people and played with them.
This species was discovered during Bering's expedition to the coast of the Commander Islands in 1741. The Steller's cow got its name in honor of the expedition participant, naturalist Georg Steller. It took humanity only 27 years to completely exterminate this amazing sea cow, or, as it is also called, cabbage.
MARINE GIANT
In June 1741, Bering traveled to the North Pacific coast on the St. Peter packet boat to find out if there was a land route from Siberia to America. It was from this expedition that neither Bering himself nor half of his team, consisting of 78 people, returned. Just before sailing, it turned out that the ship's doctor fell ill, so Bering invited the German doctor and naturalist scientist Georg Steller to take his place.
Nothing boded trouble, the team successfully landed on the west coast of Alaska. But on the way back, scurvy broke out on the ship. When in early November the sailors saw the coast in the distance, they were very happy, deciding that they were near the mainland. However, they were soon disappointed - it was the coast of Kamchatka. But food and water were almost running out, so they decided to moor to the island, which today bears the name of Bering.
Weakened by disease and hunger, the people somehow settled in the hastily built huts. And their ship was torn from the anchor by a storm and thrown ashore.
Almost immediately, at high tide, Steller noticed the backs of some huge animals in the water, but the duties of a doctor did not allow him to study them. A few days later, when the disease receded a little, he got the opportunity to get a better look at the animals. The water was simply teeming with huge carcasses, according to Steller, it was impossible to count them.
According to the description of the scientist, these were giant animals. Some individuals reached a length of 10 meters, and weighed from 4 to 11 tons. The head of the beast was incomparably small compared to the body, which ended in a forked whale tail. These waterfowl moved with the help of rounded front fins, at the end of which there was a horny outgrowth resembling a hoof. The folded skin, which, according to the scientist, resembled the bark of an old oak, was strong, and the subcutaneous fat was thick, which protected the animal from sharp stones and cold.
The sea cow ate algae, for which it was named cabbage. Peaceful, gullible animals were not afraid of people at first, they swam so close to them that they could be stroked. If a person hurt them, they resentful, but quickly forgot everything and returned. They loved to bask in the shallow waters near the coast in dense seaweed. Adults carefully guarded their cubs, when they "moved" to a new place, the babies were placed in the center of the herd so that none of them fell prey to a predator.
REASONS FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE
At first, sailors did not consider Steller cows as potential food. But this is hardly due to sympathy for animals. Apparently, people were so weakened that it was easier for them to kill with a club and eat a sea otter, and there were a lot of them here. But the sea otters quickly realized that people were a danger to them, and became more careful. It was then that the idea came to try the meat of the sea cow - it tasted similar to beef. The lard of the animals had a pleasant taste and smell, and the milk was fat and sweet.
Steller cows were caught in the following way. A huge iron hook was loaded onto a boat and swam up to the animal. The strongest hit with a hook, and when he plunged into the body of the unfortunate victim, 30 people pulled her to the shore with a rope tied to the hook. Those in the boat continued to strike with knives so that the animal resisted less. Pieces of meat were cut off from the still living creature, which was beating so hard that the skin fell off with scabs.
Other cows, when their brethren began to beat and rush in pain, rushed to the rescue. They tried to overturn the boat, threw themselves onto the rope with their whole bodies, to break it and beat the hook with their tails. And, I must say, not all of their attempts were unsuccessful. And if a female became a victim, then the male, not reacting to danger and pain, rushed to help. And he did not leave her, even if she was already dead. One morning, the male was found on the shore next to the body of a friend. For three days he did not leave her.
As one of the expedition members later said, from the extraction of one cabbage, three tons of meat could be obtained, which would be enough to feed 33 people for a whole month. The animal's subcutaneous fat was used not only for food, but also for lamps. And boats were made from the skin of Steller cows. It is clear that the sailors had to somehow survive, but with such a barbaric attitude, taking one animal, they simultaneously killed five more.
Soon the sailors restored their ship and went home. They brought with them about 800 skins of sea otters and stories about the abundance of fur animals on the Commander Islands. As a result of such advertising, a huge number of Arctic foxes and sea otters were destroyed in a short time. And the cow ... It was of no value to the fur traders, but it was excellent food for the hunters. During the year, people killed more than 170 animals. And by 1768, the two thousandth population of Steller cows on the Commander Islands had completely disappeared.
SUDDENLY THEY SURVIVED
After the seemingly complete disappearance of cabbages, several decades passed until they started talking about them again.
During the expedition around the world in 1803-1806, natural scientist Wilhelm Thielenau saw this animal. In 1834, two hunters said that not far from Bering Island they met a thin animal with a cone-shaped body, small front limbs, which breathed through the mouth and had no hind fins.
At the beginning of the last century, fishermen found a Steller's cow, carried away by a storm, on the southern coast of the Chukotka Peninsula. And the sailors of the whaling ships said that sometimes they saw an unusual animal in the sea, either a fish or a whale.
One such story of an eyewitness from the whaler "Buran" was published in 1963 in the magazine "Nature". The man claimed that in the Bering Sea he saw a flock of huge unknown animals, the body length of which was eight meters. That is, they could not be seals, walruses, or killer whales. Most likely, Steller's cows lived not only in the Commander Islands. In old records, you can find evidence that cabbages were seen in Chukotka, California and the Aleutian Islands. Therefore, a sailor from Buran could meet them.
In 1966, the newspaper "Kamchatskiy Komsomolets" published a note that unknown animals with dark skins were seen on a sandbank in the north-east of Kamchatka. And in 1967, Inspector Pinegin, while bypassing the coast of Bering Island, came across a pile of bones that clearly belonged to a Steller cow. And these bones were fresh.
In 1976, the editorial office of the magazine "Vokrug Sveta" received a letter from Kamchatka from a local meteorologist. He wrote that at the end of summer, near Cape Lopatka, he saw a sea cow, about five meters long. First, a small head appeared from the water, then a huge body, and finally a characteristic tail, similar to that of a whale.
The latest evidence is from 2012. Some online publications published sensational news: a herd of Steller cows, consisting of 30 individuals, was discovered near a small island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
So I want to believe that several pairs of these peaceful and gullible animals were able to hide in secluded bays and wait out the fur boom there. Only they no longer trust people and therefore hide.
Manatees are huge animals that live in the sea and feed on underwater vegetation. Their weight is up to 600 kg, and they can be up to 5 meters long. Most likely, the ancestors of the manatees lived on land, but after that they decided to change their place of residence and moved to the water element. Initially, there were more than 20 types of them, but only three are known to man: manatees and dugongs. The first, unfortunately, are no longer there, since man has completely exterminated this species.
What a sea cow is, people discovered for themselves in the 17th century and immediately began to mercilessly exterminate them. The meat of these animals is very tasty, the fat is soft and tender, which is especially good for making ointments; the skin of sea cows was also used. Now manatees have been declared an endangered species, and it is forbidden to hunt them. Still, sea cows suffer from human activities. Every now and then they swallow nets and hooks, which slowly kill them. Great harm to their health is caused by the pollution of ocean waters, the construction of dams.
Due to the large weight of enemies, manatees have not so many. They are threatened in the sea and caimans in tropical rivers. Despite their phlegmatic character and slowness, they still manage to avoid certain death, so the main enemy of sea cows is man. It is impossible to catch them, but a large number of animals die under ships, so many countries are developing programs to save manatees.
The sea cow prefers to live in shallow water, the optimum depth for her is 2-3 meters. Manatees consume about 20% of their weight every day, so they are specially bred in areas where excessive vegetation spoils water quality. They feed mainly early in the morning or in the evening, and during the day they rest, swim to the shore to bask in the sun.
There are three types of manatees in total: African, Amazonian and American. The African sea cow, as befits all Africans, is slightly darker than its counterparts. She lives in warm equatorial rivers and on the west African coast. The Amazonian manatee only lives in, so its skin is smooth and even, and there is a white or pink spot on the chest and in some cases on the belly. The American sea cow prefers the Atlantic coastline, and she especially enjoys it. She can swim in both salt and fresh water. It is the American manatees that are the largest.
Manatees are very interesting to watch, their tail is like an oar, and their front legs with claws resemble flippers. They use them very skillfully, they can walk along the bottom, scratch themselves, hold and stuff food into their mouths. Looking for food, basking in the sun, playing with other members of the species - these are all the worries that the sea cow has taken on. Manatee mainly lives alone, only during the mating season, the female is surrounded by about two dozen suitors.
The cub is hatched for about a year, at birth its weight is about 30 kg, and its length is slightly more than a meter. He has been living with his mother for about two years, she shows him her usual places to search for food. Then the lamanten grows up and becomes independent. It is believed that their connection is inextricable and maintained throughout their lives.
