Are manatees mammals, and how big can they grow?

Manatees are mammals because they belong to the class Mammalia. As a mammal, manatees share some key characteristics with other mammals. One of the most important characteristics is the way of reproduction, and manatees also reproduce viviparously. They can breed at most once a year, giving birth in the water, and only one small manatee can be born at a time. And then there's the way they breathe. Like other mammals, manatees have lungs, and they breathe with them.

Is the manatee a mammal

The manatee is a large animal that lives mainly in the sea.According to the category, manatee is an animal in Chordata, Mammalia, Sirenia and Sirenidae.Therefore, manatees belong to mammals, and they can not be regarded as fish just because they live in water like fish.

As mammals, manatees live in very different environments from land mammals, but they share some key characteristics.The main one is the way of reproduction.Manatees can only breed once a year at most, and their gestation period is about one year.Female manatees then give birth in the water, producing only one calf at a time.And the way they breathe, manatees, like other mammals, have lungs, and they breathe with their lungs.

2. how big can the manatee grow

In terms of size, the manatee is a relatively large animal, larger than most fish in the water.In terms of body length, manatees grow up to be between 2.5 and 4 meters long.Their weight is also relatively heavy, reaching about 360 kilograms.Specifically, the size of different manatee individuals is different, not exactly the same, will be affected by the surrounding environment and the amount of food.Because they are so large, they eat a lot of food, eating 5% to 10% of their body food every day, mainly aquatic plants.

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