Manatee Facts – Knowledge Challenge 1

Test your knowledge on unique and awesome manatee facts with this first installment!

Greetings! You’ve probably read some of my previous blogs on the rare and unique Florida manatee (yours truly). Well I thought it would be fun if I created a series of manatee fact challenges to test your manatee knowledge! This blog contains Manatee Facts Challenge 1.

Just select your answer from each of the four choices under the question, from A to D. You’ll find the answer key located at the bottom of this blog. OK – are you ready? Let’s go and Good Luck!

  1. The Florida Manatee actually belongs to the order_______

     A. West Indian  B. Sirenia  C. Mainland Florida  D. Antillean 

2. The Florida Manatee is a subspecies of the _______ manatee.

     A. Dugong  B. West African  C. Amazon  D. West Indian

3. What country(s) can you find the Florida manatee?

     A. Mexico & U.S.  B. Belize & U.S.  C. U.S. D. Mexico, Belize & U.S.

4. In the warm summer months, do Florida manatees travel out of Florida? 

     A. No   B. Yes

5. The average length of the Florida manatee is ______ feet.

A.8   B. 10   C. 12   D. 15

6. The average weight of a Florida manatee is between ____ to ____ pounds.

A. 800 to 1,200  B. 400 to 800  C. 1,500 to 2,000  D. 3,500 to 4,500

7. The color of the Florida manatee’s skin is ______.

A. Blue   B. Brown   C. Gray   D. Gray and Green

8. Florida manatees have __________ bodies that taper down to a ________ tail.

A. Hippopotamus, flat  B. Whale-like, paddle-shaped  C. Penguin, fluked  D. Sea Lion, square 

9. Florida manatees have two forelimbs called ___________.

A. Fins  B. Dorsal Fins  C. Flippers  D. Pectorals

10. Florida manatees are ______________ because they eat only plants and vegetation. 

A. Omnivores   B. Herbivores   C. Pescetarians   D. Dieting

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Answer Key

  1. B. Sirenia
  2. D. West Indian – Subspecies of the West Indian Manatee include the Florida Manatee and the Antillean Manatee.
  3. C. U.S. – The United States is the only country where you’ll find the Florida manatee.
  4. B. Yes – The Florida manatee can enjoy adventures in the warm summer months. They can go as far west as Texas and as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts!
  5. B. 10 feet is the average length of a Florida manatee.
  6. A. 800 to 1,200 pounds – The average weight of the Florida manatee is between 800 to 1,200 pounds.
  7. D. Gray & Green – The color of the Florida manatee’s skin most of the time is gray. However, sometimes you can see shades of green blending in with the gray tones on the upper region of the manatee’s skin due to algae growing on it from sunlight exposure.
  8. B. The Florida manatee has a whale-like body that tapers down to a paddle-shaped tail.
  9. C. The Florida manatee and all manatees have two forelimbs called flippers.
  10. B. Florida manatees, as well as all manatees, are herbivores, which means they will eat only plants and vegetation.

Stay tuned for more manatee knowledge challenges in my future blogs!

If you are in Florida and you see a sick or injured manatee, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at: 1-888-404-FWCC. They are the folks who are responsible for rescuing us in Florida.

Here’s the Save the Manatee Club link to learn more about us manatees …

www.savethemanatee.org

Here’s a cool link for you to learn more about how we’re rescued and brought into rehabilitation …

www.wildtracks.org

~ Kobee Manatee