The manatee: another subject in danger of extinction

The manatee is also known as a sea cow and its scientific name is Trichechus manatus and, although it has a great physical resemblance to walruses, they are not close relatives; except for some aspects such as the fact that they are aquatic mammals. There are three species of these animals: two in America and one in Africa. In fact, the manatee's closest relative is the elephant.

What is striking about the origin of these animals in the American continent is their provenance, because how did their ancestors manage to cross the Atlantic Ocean a few million years ago? Many will say: "Easily, they came swimming." But if they are merely vegetarian animals, what did those animals eat along that long journey from Africa? So there are a myriad of unknowns not only with the origin and evolution of sea cows, but also with other species.

Let's go to a simpler example: How did the camels' cousins arrive in South America? Well, what is most widely assumed is that they crossed the Bering Strait that at some point connected the northwestern tip of America with Asia by land or ice bridges.

Well, going back to sea cows, the Caribbean species, which exists in Venezuela, usually inhabits deltaic or estuarine areas such as the Orinoco river delta, feeding exclusively on a certain variety of aquatic plants. They are large animals, measuring up to 3.5 meters long and weighing between 300 and 500 kilos; they are somewhat plump, gray in color and their tail is shaped like a spatula.

One of the problems that this species presents is poaching, since there are people who consume its meat. On the other hand, the contamination of river water significantly affects their food sources. Consequently, its population has been reduced in recent times. However and fortunately some countries have been concerned about the conservation of this interesting animal. For example, in Costa Rica the manatee is the national symbol of the marine fauna of that country

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