Swans Remember Their Enemies

Swans are more than just a pretty face! Find out how fascinating these wonderful waterfowl can be!





For next week's episode on Manatees, record yourself reciting one of the following facts in your own quirky way, then post it to Instagram with #animalists!





It’s illegal to hug a manatee. A florida man was charged with a misdemeanor after hugging a baby manatee and posting pictures of the act on his facebook.



All three species of manatee—the Amazonian, West Indian, and West African —and the related dugong are considered vulnerable species by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This is due to a variety of threats including boat collisions, hunting, habitat destruction, and toxic red tides.



Manatees are typically found in shallow coastal areas and rivers where they feed on seagrass, mangrove leaves, and algae. These herbivores munch on food for almost half the day, eating ten percent of their body weight in plant mass every day. With weights of up to 1,200 pounds, that is a whole lot of greenery!



Manatees go to the surface of the water every three to five minutes to breathe although they can remain underwater longer, holding their breath for up to 20 minutes



Dugongs and manatees are two different things- dugongs have a specific snout and fluked tail

Sailors (including Christopher Columbus) commonly mistook manatees and dugongs for mermaids

Manatees and Dugongs share a common ancestry with elephants. These creatures evolved from the same land ancestor over 50 million years ago.



Manatee brains are smooth (compared to our own that have cortical folds) and the ratio of their brain to their body size is the lowest of any mammal. They may not be as clever as dolphins, but manatees can learn basic tasks, are sensitive to touch and can differentiate colors.

Female manatees usually have one calf every two to five years and the calf then stays and nurses for two years



Manatees have no natural predators in the wild but humans have played a large part in making all three species at risk of extinction. About half of West Indian manatee deaths are caused by humans, and most are due to boat collisions. Manatees are quite buoyant and use their horizontally placed diaphragm and breathing to control their buoyancy. This and their average speed of 3 to 5 miles per hour means that manatees are way too slow to escape from the path of a speeding boat.







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