Trichechus senegalensis
| African manatee | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Sirenia |
| Family: | Trichechidae |
| Genus: | Trichechus |
| Species: | T. senegalensis |
| Binomial name | |
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Trichechus senegalensis Link, 1795 |
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| African manatee range | |
The African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), also known as the West African manatee or seacow, is a species of manatee; it is mostly herbivorous. African manatees can be found in much of the western region of Africa, from Senegal to Angola. Scientists do not know a lot about this species, but they hypothesize the African manatee is very similar to the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus).
The African manatee was officially declared a species under the Trichechus senegalensis taxon in 1795 by the naturalist, Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link. No subspecies of this taxon are known, but unreliable claims have been made that there are morphological disparities between coastal manatee populations and isolated inland populations. After more research, no genetic evidence supports these claims and form any subspecies. The African manatee falls under the genus Trichechus with only two other species, the Amazonian manatee and the West Indian manatee, which are also sirenians.
African manatees can be found in much of the western region of Africa such as in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Manatees are found in bodies of water ranging from brackish to freshwater, including oceans, rivers, lakes, coastal estuaries, reservoirs, lagoons, and calm shallow bays on the coast. However, a limiting factor of where the African manatee can live is temperature. It is very rare to find an African manatee in water with a temperature below 18 °C (64 °F).
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Wikipedia