The West African manatee shares
many features with the West
Indian manatee, so this fact sheet will focus mainly
on differences and the unique circumstances of this African
species.
The West African manatee inhabits the warm, shallow coastal
waters, rivers, lakes, swamps, and estuaries of Western Africa,
from the Senegal River bordering Mauritania in the north
to the Cuanza River of Angola in the south. It is mainly
nocturnal, and generally feeds and travels from dusk to dawn.
It rests in shallow waters during the day.
The West African manatee weighs up to 500 kg (1,100 lbs),
and is 3-4 meters long (10-13 feet) when fully grown. It
has the same brownish, gray coloring as the West Indian manatee,
and is generally similar in appearance, though the snout
is straighter, i.e., not as downturned. This may be an adaptation
that aids it in reaching overhanging vegetation, particularly
mangrove leaves, which make up much of its diet.
While all manatee species are endangered, West African manatees
are possibly the most threatened. They are hunted throughout
their range and are accidentally caught in fishing nets.
The mangroves they feed on are being cut down, and erosion
from logging has caused sediment to build up in lagoons and
estuaries, ruining their habitat. The manatee has legal protection
in every country within its range, but the laws are seldom
enforced. Hunters appear to be aware of the laws, but few
fear punishment. No one knows how many West African manatees
exist, but there are assumed to be fewer than 10,000.
 |
| West
African Manatee, Trichechus senegalensis,
critically endangered species. |
Image
#: 015631 |
|
|
|
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
|
|
For an illustration comparing species and species size in
the order Sirenia, see: http://www.sirenian.org/caryn.html
Other names: West African Manatee, African Manatee, Lamantin
d 'Afrique, Lamantin du Senegal, Manati de Senegal: http://www.animalinfo.org/species/tricsene.htm
- West African Manatee information assembled from published
and on-line sources by Kevin
Miller on Oct. 29, 2006 for Seapics.com.
Sources:
Ripple,
J. Manatees and Dugongs of the World, Voyageur Press, 1999.
http://www.animalinfo.org/species/tricsene.htm
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Trichechus_seneg.html |
