[2] Although not a great deal is known about this species, it is hypothesized that the African manatee is very similar to the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). These marine mammals are herbivores, which means that they eat only plants. Living just in bodies of freshwater, these manatees are typically found in lagoons and lakes, often off the branches of bigger rivers. They also have the name ‘seacow’ and come from the ‘Sirenia’ order. The Amazonian manatee is an aquatic mammal with a bizarre appearance, first described as follows: a curious combination of a seal and a hippopotamus. The manatee is an herbivore due to the fact that they only consume plants. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses were conducted to describe African manatee diet for the first time. They tend to be on the smaller side of the scale though when it comes to weight, around 750 to 790 pounds. Although not a great deal is known about this species, it is hypothesized that the African manatee is very similar to the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). The West African species is found in, you guessed it, western Africa!
Diet Manatees are primarily herbivores. The African Manatee can be up to 14 feet long. Manatees consume about 4% to 9% (15 to 49 kg or 32 to 108 lbs.
They are known to eat over 60 different varieties of freshwater plants, and a number of saltwater plants. Manatees in Florida feed on more than 60 species of plants including turtle grass, manatee grass, shoal grass, mangrove leaves, various algae, water hyacinth, acorns, and hydrilla. As they migrate, the seasons changes, or the water temperatures change the foods that they can access may change. African Manatee Description. When you consider other species of the manatee that weigh as much as 1,200 pounds then that is a significant difference. Diet of the Manatee. Diet and Feeding Habits . African manatees are very hard to observe in the wild due to their shy nature and the murky water habitats they live in, so I decided to research their diet using a technique known as stable isotope analysis. There are more than 60 types of plants that they are known to eat. The African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), also known as the West African manatee, is a species of manatee that is mostly herbivorous.African manatees inhabit much of the western region of Africa – from Senegal to Angola.
They feed on a wide variety of submerged, emergent, floating, and shoreline vegetation. The African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), also known as the West African manatee, is a species of manatee that is mostly herbivorous.African manatees inhabit much of the western region of Africa – from Senegal to Angola.
They are opportunistic so they will consume what they have access to in a given environment.