Holy Sea Cow! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cows give birth to one calf; twins are rare

Manatees are slow breeders, which has contributed to their endangered status. Typically only one calf is born, weighing about 70 pounds (30 kg). Cows give birth only about every three to five years, understandable since pregnancy lasts a full year!

Answer: They both continue to grow throughout their lives

Manatees continue to grow throughout their lives and some have reached weights of over a ton. Females may sometimes be larger than males but there is not marked sexual dimorphism in manatees, unlike elephants where the males grow much larger. Manatees don't have tusks, and while they are usually vegetarians, they have been known to eat dead fish from nets and zooplankton and mollusks while grazing.

Answer: true

Manatees belong to the family Trichechidae which has three tropical species: the West African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, and the West Indian manatee. West African manatees, like all sirenians, are extremely threatened.

Answer: They are found only in fresh water

Other sirenians can live in fresh, brackish, or salt water, but Amazonian manatees are found only in fresh water. These manatees have a paddle-shaped tail and a slightly smaller average size than other manatees. Like all present-day sirenians, they are very sensitive to water temperature and must live only in warm climates.

Answer: Florida

Florida also offers conservation license plates featuring other endangered wildlife, such as the sea turtle and the Florida panther. They are a beautiful and practical way to show support for these wonderful creatures.

Answer: Whiskers that aid in sensation

Vibrissae, or facial and body whiskers, are highly sensitive to the presence of food or other objects in the water, as well as to the movement of currents. Some scientists believe that vibrissae may aid in manatee navigation.

Answer: Chessie

Chessie the manatee is known for swimming far outside the normal range of Florida manatees. He's been spotted as far north as Rhode Island! He is also very good at slipping out of his radio tracking devices. To learn more about Chessie, go to http://www.oceanicresearch.org/chessie.html.

His exploits will be sure to make you smile. By the way, the incorrect choices are all derived from Florida manatee wintering locations: Homosassa Springs, Blue Springs, and Crystal River. All of them are beautiful and well worth a visit.

Answer: The eighteenth century

The saga of Steller's sea cow is well recorded, ironically by the same man who "discovered" them and was largely responsible for their extinction, Georg Steller. Steller was a member of Captain Vitus Bering's crew and was a gifted naturalist. The huge (10 meters in length, 3000 kg) mammals were not afraid of humans and were ruthlessly slaughtered. By 1768, they were extinct.

Answer: Jimmy Buffett

Mr. Buffett, a singer of considerable fame (he often has a "Cheeseburger in Paradise" while on his way to "Margaritaville"), has devoted more than two decades to manatee conservation efforts. "Save the Manatee Club is a membership-based, national nonprofit organization. Funds from the Adopt-A-Manatee program go toward public awareness and education projects; manatee research; rescue and rehabilitation efforts; advocacy and legal action in order to ensure better protection for manatees and their habitat. Currently, there are about 40,000 SMC members." (Information from www.savethemanatee.org.) Paddy, Philip, and Merlin are Blue Springs, Florida manatees available for adoption via the SMC. Al Gore invented the Internet and probably loves manatees a lot too.

Answer: Bodysurfing and synchronized swimming

Alas, although manatees were once mistaken for mermaids, they look better in barnacles than bikinis. They have, however, been observed bodysurfing with considerable grace as well as moving together in a synchronized fashion. Manatees are a perfect 10 in my opinion and I hope you got an enjoyable and educational 10/10 on my manatee quiz.