Here are some interesting facts about the Florida manatee.
Manatees are closely related to the elephant and hyrax.
I adapted this tree from the Tree of Life web project. This is actually a great resource for information almost any organism. Go check it out!
There are several species of Sirenians that are alive today! There are three species of manatees and one species of dugong. The Steller's Sea Cow was alive until the 1800s when it was hunted to extinction very shortly after its discovery. It was the only known sirenian that did not have a tropical to sub-tropical range.
Image from Sirenian International's website.
Links
University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Marine Mammal Program
If you want to learn more about manatees, a great book was recently published!
It was written by Bob Bonde of the USGS Sirenia Project and Dr. Roger Reep from the UF College of Veterinary Medicine. It is a good book for non-scientists interested in learning more about this species and a good book for scientists who want to learn about the history of the conservation of this species in Florida!
"Sirenian International is a grassroots organization of people who share a dedication to manatee & dugong research, education, and conservation."
