Because of the work done during this phase, the general public, young children, and experienced scientists alike are receiving better information than ever before as to how to protect the African manatees. Maame Water also flips over canoes and entices their occupants to visit her kingdom. [1], There are even more threats to the African manatees' habitat and life: urban and agricultural development, increased damming, and increased use of hydroelectric power in the rivers of countries like Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. Males take a longer time to mature (about 9 to 10 years) and can rarely fertilize an egg at the age of 2 or 3 years. As part of a study completed in Côte d'Ivoire to assess where the majority of African manatees favor living, a sample of African manatees was radio-tagged and tracked. In summer months, they can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as Massachusetts, but summer sightings in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are more common. They are known to live only in freshwater areas. Due to the large-scale success of Phase I, a Phase II is to be enacted by Wetlands International. There are stiff bristles on the lips. A Manatee is a large aquatic herbivorous mammal. The Amazonian manatee and the dugong do not have fingernails. You can even go beneath the waves and see the animals via a special underwater observation area. jw2019. The African Manatee is the one species that we know the least about. By Lucy Keith Diagne, 23rd March 2015 . However, males tend to be smaller than females. African manatees inhabit much of the western region of Africa – from Senegal to Angola. Habitat and Range: Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals, and coastal areas particularly where seagrass beds or freshwater vegetation flourish. Located on Florida’s east coast, Manatee Observation and Educational Center in Fort Pierce is home to abundant wildlife, including the Florida manatee. 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 Manatee Distribution. However, algae and other tiny organisms often grow on an African manatee's body, so its body sometimes appears brown or greenish in color. Add this to your Future Florida bucket list! The West African manatee is found extensively along the west African coastline in a number of countries including Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Manatees shelter in the park during the winter, taking advantage of the warm waters that flow through Homosassa Springs. 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. The diet of African manatees living in estuaries consists solely of mangrove trees. The only visible distinction between males and females is the genital openings. African Manatees are found in coastal marine and estuarine habitats and in fresh water river systems along the west coast of Africa from the Senegal River south to the Kwanza River in Angola, including areas in Gambia, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although African manatees live in both coastal areas and isolated inland areas, genetic evidence suggests no significant differences between the two populations. Phylogenetics And Feeding Ecology Of The African Manatee, Senghor, Léopold Sédar, "Chants d'ombre" [in] "Selected poems of LEOPOLD SEDAR SENGHOR", CUP Archive, pp. There are three species of manatee in the world and can be found in coastal rivers and waters. Due to this mass lack of enforcement and minimal education, the African manatee population is being steadily depleted.[5]. It occurs in coastal and estuarine habitats, coastal lagoons and [7] If the African manatee's molars happen to fall out, new molars grow in their place. In fact, even getting photos of them is hard. Fish and clams are part of the food of the Antilles and African manatees, something that questions the belief that these mammals are fully herbivores. Lucy Keith Diagne created an African manatee sub-group of the IUCN Sirenian Specialist Group, the first regional subgroup for any manatee species. [3], The African manatee was officially declared a species under the Trichechus senegalensis taxon in 1795 by naturalist Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link. These creatures are 13 ft long and can weigh as much as 1,300 lbs. Der Afrikanische Manati (Trichechus senegalensis) ist eine Seekuhart aus der Familie der Rundschwanzseekühe (Trichechidae). West African manatees are very similar in appearance to West Indian manatees, although they are more slender. Many manatees migrate there during the rainy season. [1] The African manatee falls under the genus Trichechus with only two other species, the Amazonian manatee and the West Indian manatee, which are also sirenians. Inland lakes where manatees dwell include Lake Volta, the Inner Niger River Delta in Mali, Lake Léré, and Lake de Tréné. If it is too cold their body can’t handle the stress so they have to … According to Dr. Mamaa Entsua-Mensah, who performs research for CSIR, when female African manatees surface for air, they resemble goddesses. They tend to travel silently, eat, and be active towards the end of the day and during the nighttime. They have very few natural predators, two of which are sharks and crocodiles. At certain times each year, the Niger River dries up due to the hot temperatures and lack of rain. Have very few natural predators, two of which are its only.! 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