| Q.
|
How
do manatees produce calves? |
| A.
|
Manatees
do not form permanent pair bonds like some animal species.
During breeding, a single female, or cow, is usually followed
by a group of a dozen or more males, or bulls, forming a mating
herd. They appear to breed indiscriminately during this time.
Although breeding and birth may occur at any time during the
year, there appears to be a broad spring-summer calving peak.
|
| Q. |
How
often do manatees have calves? |
| A.
|
The
reproductive rate for manatees is low. Female manatees are
not sexually mature until about five years of age. Males are
mature at approximately nine years of age, although some males
mature earlier. Intervals between births range from two to
five years. However, a two-year interval may occur when a
cow loses a calf soon after birth.
|
| Q.
|
How
much do manatee calves weigh when they are born? Do they stay
with their families for a long time? |
| A.
|
Manatee
calves are about one meter (between 3-4 feet long) and weigh
between 37-31 kilograms (60-70 pounds) at birth. Mother
manatees nurse their young for a long period, and a calf
may remain dependent on its mother for up to two years.
The female manatee assumes total responsibility for raising
the calf. The calf nurses from nipples located behind the
mother's flippers and begins to eat plants a few weeks after
birth.
|
| Q.
|
How
soon can manatee calves swim after they are born? |
| A.
|
Newborn
manatee calves are capable of swimming to the surface on their
own and vocalize at or soon after birth.
|
