| Amazonian Manatee[1] | |
|---|---|
| Baby Amazonian Manatee | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Sirenia |
| Family: | Trichechidae |
| Genus: | Trichechus |
| Species: | T. inunguis |
| Binomial name | |
| Trichechus inunguis (Natterer, 1883) |
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| Amazonian Manatee range | |
The Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis) is a species of manatee that lives in the freshwater habitats of the Amazon basin. They are found in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana and Venezuela. Amazonian manatees are aquatic animals of the Sirenia order and are also known as "seacows". Their colour is grey but sometimes appears to be a brownish grey. They have thick, wrinkled skin, are almost hairless but have "whiskers" around their mouths.[3] It lacks significant predation, other than being occasionally hunted by humans. The manatees, and the closely related Dugong, are unusual in being the only plant-eating marine mammals of modern times.
A somewhat unique feature (amongst mammals) of the manatee is the constant replacement of molar teeth; new teeth enter at the back of the jaw and replace old and worn teeth at the front. Their closest cousins, the elephants, also have teeth that get replaced, but have only a limited set of these replacement teeth.
Amazonian manatees are the smallest species of manatee besides the dwarf manatee. They may reach a length of 2.8 m (9.2 ft). Females are typically larger than males and can weigh 360 to 540 kg (800 to 1200 lbs). They also lack the nails found on the end of most flippers.
Recently, a closely related but far smaller species, the Dwarf Manatee (Trichechus "pygmaeus"), has been described from Brazil by Dr Marc van Roosmalen. Called the peixe-boi anão in Brazilian Portuguese, it is about 130 cm (4.2 ft) long and lives in fast-flowing streams.[4] Its validity has later been questioned, with some believing it is an immature Amazonian Manatee.[5]
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