They can be as old as five years before sexual maturity. Amazonian manatees are aquatic animals. [14], The African manatee is nocturnal. Locating manatee populations in Africa. In some countries, such as Nigeria and Cameroon, African manatees are sold to zoos, aquariums, online as pets, and they are sometimes shipped internationally. Related Topics Manatees shelter in the park during the winter, taking advantage of the warm waters that flow through Homosassa Springs. Manatees are found in brackish waters to freshwater: in oceans, rivers, lakes, coastal estuaries, reservoirs, lagoons, and bays on the coast. Inland lakes where manatees dwell include Lake Volta, the Inner Niger River Delta in Mali, Lake Léré, and Lake de Tréné. Main Characteristics West African Manatees reach lengths between 3 and 4 m (10 - 13 ft) and they weigh up to 500 kgs (1,100 lbs). Designated as a manatee sanctuary, the Apollo Beach location has a manatee educational center. It is also an important source of food and income for the 400 local fisher households who live in the area. They are more diverse than other manatees due to their ability to survive in salt water, although they do need access to fresh water for drinking purposes. African manatees breed year-round. The other two distinct species of manatees are found in Brazil and in Africa. Although African manatees live in both coastal areas and isolated inland areas, genetic evidence suggests no significant differences between the two populations. They were also found in the grassy estuaries of big rivers with mangroves and in protected coastal spots with less than 3 metres (10 ft) of water containing both mangroves and marine macrophytes. Residents of countries such as Mali and Chad depend on the oil of the African manatee to cure ailments such as ear infections, rheumatism, and skin conditions. While manatees can be observed in Moore’s Creek throughout the … The African manatee is not restricted to a certain area, and does not have to rely heavily on only one ecosystem for support. Florida manatees have been know… Calves are darker in color when they are very young. The African manatee does not have any hind limbs. (2014). During Phase II, the information collected in Phase I will be even more widely distributed around the areas in which the African manatee lives. [3], The African manatee was officially declared a species under the Trichechus senegalensis taxon in 1795 by naturalist Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link. By Lucy Keith Diagne, 23rd March 2015 . It’s surprising that there are any manatees left in Lekki Lagoon, which is located ~63 km east of Africa’s largest city, Lagos, Nigeria (population 21 million!). Both the West Indian and the West African manatees can live in water with various degrees of salinity, from fresh, to brackish, to ocean. [5][8][9][10] From the exterior, the African manatee looks very similar to the American manatee; however, the African manatee is different from the Amazonian manatee, which has characteristic white markings on its abdomen. Wählen Sie aus erstklassigen Inhalten zum Thema West African Manatee in … Saving the African Manatee's habitat and Lake Ossa's biodiversity. en These underwater gardens provide a wonderful spectacle for divers, who can come face-to-face with turtles and manatees as well as a great variety of colorful fish. This creates a deep bond between them. Captions. [6] The percentage of the diet that is composed of non-plant material varies based on location,[1] with manatees living off the coast having a lifetime average of 50% non-plant material. They have oar-like flippers and often have brown/grey wrinkled skin with whiskers on several parts of their body and snout. They are migrational and they will move based on the availability of food and the temperature of the water. Some are killed accidentally by fishing trawls and in nets which are intended for catching sharks. [13], Among the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania, the manatee is regarded as sacred and highly respected, because in the Serer creation myth, it is viewed as the guardian of the secrets of the future. The Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) is a species of manatee that lives in the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Note: Manatee Lagoon is currently closed to the public due to COVID-19. [3] African manatees live in groups of 1 to 6. Visitors to Manatee Lagoon can view Florida manatees as these gentle giants huddle in the warm … Overlooking the freshwater Moore’s Creek that runs into the saltwater estuary of Indian River Lagoon, visitors will find a boardwalk and observation deck for plenty of unique viewing opportunities. Within the United States, they are concentrated in Florida in the winter. 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