bombus rufocinctus is a species of bumblebee known by the common name red-belted bumblebee .

it is native to north america where it has a wide distribution across canada and the western , midwestern , and northeastern united states .

it may occur in mexico .

the queen is 1.6 to 1.8 centimeters long and just under a centimeter wide at the abdomen .

it is black with scattered gray and yellowish hairs on the head .

the abdomen has many bright yellow hairs and areas of reddish hairs .

the worker is 1.1 to 1.2 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide at the abdomen .

it is similar to the queen but it may have longer hairs .

the male is 1.2 to 1.3 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide at the abdomen .

it is mostly black with more yellow on the head and abdomen .

this species displays four genetically-controlled color polymorphisms : the second and third abdominal terga may have red or black hairs , and the fourth and fifth may be either yellow or black .

this small , short-tongued bee lives in and around wooded areas and it can be found in urban parks and gardens .

it feeds on several kinds of plants , including chicories , snakeroots , strawberries , gumweeds , sunflowers , goldenrods , clovers , vetches , and goldeneyes .

it usually nests on or above ground level .

bombus rufocinctus

bombus rufocinctus <EOT> for further information about this species , see 21215145 _ bombus _ rufocinctus . pdf .

those with red on the metasoma are often confused with various pyrobombus whereas those without can be confused with bombus bimaculatus and various other species , but in rufocinctus the malar space is exceptionally short .

bombus rufocinctus cresson : apidae ( bombini ) , hymenoptera ( observations are from macior and thomson et al . ) araliaceae : aralia hispida ( tmp ) ; primulaceae : dodecatheon meadia cp ( mc )

lectotype for bombus rufocinctus cresson , 1863 catalog number : usnm collection : smithsonian institution , national museum of natural history , department of entomology sex / stage : male ; worker ; preparation : pinned locality : colo . , colorado , united states

richardson , l . l . 2013 . bumble bees of north america : a database of specimen records for the genus bombus . data contributors available : urltoken

bombus rufocinctus cresson : apidae ( bombini ) , hymenoptera ( observations are from macior , thomson et al . , discover life ) araliaceae : aralia hispida ( tmp ) ; primulaceae : dodecatheon meadia cp ( mc ) ; rosaceae : spiraea tomentosa ( dl ) insect activities : cp = collects pollen scientific observers : ( mc ) = l . w . macior ( tmp ) = thomson , maddison , and plowright

macior , l . w . 1968 . bombus ( hymenoptera , apidae ) queen foraging in relation to vernal pollination in wisconsin . ecology 49 ( 1 ) : 20 - 25

carvell , c . 2002 . habitat use and conservation of bumblebees ( bombus spp . ) under different grasslands management regimes . biological conservation 103 ( 1 ) : 33 - 49 .

no recent studies suggest that this species to be threatened on a large scale ( natureserve 2014 ) . the apparent decline around san francisco might be related in part to competition from b . vosnesenskii , a species which has increased dramatically in abundance in the region . it should be noted , however , that bombus rufocinctus was historically known from low numbers in the city of san francisco , so the lack of recent detection ( e . g . , mcfrederick and lebuhn 2006 ) is not very alarming .

savard , m . 2009 . aperçu sur la diversité des bourdons de la minganie , québec ( hymenoptera : apidae : bombus ) . le naturaliste canadien 133 ( 2 ) : 31 - 36 .

in females with red on the metasoma the red is on the apicolateral corners of t2 and on t3 and t4 , with t1 and most of t2 yellow , whereas in species such as ternarius and huntii t2 - t3 are entirely red and t4 is yellow . bombus centralis can be confusing in that its metasoma is yellow basally and red apically , but in that species t2 is entirely yellow and the facial hairs are all yellow ( also usually true of huntii and bifarius but not ternarius , sylvicola , or rufocinctus ) . the dorsum of the scutum has black as in other species , but this is often a rather diffuse blotch as opposed to a narrow , well - defined interalar band ( as in huntii ) or clearly extending to form a notch in the scutellum posteriorly ( as in bifarius and to a lesser degree ternarius ) . however , rufocinctus females can have a complete , broad interalar band .

mcfrederick , q . s . , and g . lebuhn . 2006 . are urban parks refuges for bumble bees bombus spp . ( hymenoptera : apidae ) ? biological conservation 129 ( 3 ) : 372 - 382 [ includes corrigendum ] .

colla , s . , and l . packer . 2008 . evidence for decline in eastern north american bumblebees ( hymenoptera : apidae ) , with special reference to bombus affinis cresson . biodiversity and conservation 17 ( 6 ) : 1379 - 1391 .

evans , e . , r . thorp , s . jepson and s . hoffman - black . 2008 . status review of three formerly common species of bumble bees in the subgenus bombus . the xerces society . 63 pp . accessed at urltoken

grixti , j . c . , l . t . wong , s . a . cameron , and c . favret . 2008 . decline of bumble bees ( bombus ) in the north american midwest . biological conservation 142 ; 75 - 84

golick , d . a . , and m . d . ellis . 2006 . an update on the distribution and diversity of bombus in nebraska ( hymenoptera : apidae ) . journal of the kansas entomological society 79 ( 4 ) : 341 - 347 .

grixti , j . c . , l . t . wong , s . a . cameron , and c . favret . 2009 . decline of bumble bees ( bombus ) in the north american midwest . biological conservation 142 ( 1 ) : 75 - 84 .

hatfield , r . g . , and g . lebuhn . 2007 . patch and landscape factors shape community assemblage of bumble bees , bombus spp . ( hymenoptera : apidae ) , in montane meadows . biological conservation 139 ( 1 - 2 ) : 150 - 158 .

super , p . e . , and a . t . moyer . 2003b . bombus affinis cresson , bumble bee - biodiversity of great smoky mountains national park . in : nps , dlia . 2007 . discover life in america , great smoky mountains national park , gatlinburg , tennessee . online . available : urltoken

williams , p . h . 2008a . bombus , bumblebees of the world . web pages based on williams , p . h . 1998 . an annotated checklist of bumblebees with an analysis of patterns of description ( hymenoptera : apidae , bombini ) . bulletin of the natural history museum ( entomology ) 67 : 79 - 152 . online . available : urltoken accessed 2008 - oct .

generally , bumble bees ( bombus spp . ) are threatened by a number of factors including habitat loss , pesticide use , pathogens from managed pollinators , competition with non - native bees , and climate change ( reviewed in goulson 2010 , williams et al . 2009 , williams and osborne 2009 , fürst et al . 2014 , cameron et al . 2011 , hatfield et al . 2012 ) . reduced genetic diversity resulting from any of these threats can be particularly concerning for bumble bees , since their method of sex - determination can be disrupted by inbreeding , and since genetic diversity already tends to be low in this group due to the colonial life cycle ( i . e . , large numbers of bumble bees found locally may represent only one or a few queens ) ( goulson 2010 , hatfield et al . 2012 , but see cameron et al . 2011 , lozier et al . 2011 ) .

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antweiler , g . , arduser , m . , ascher , j . , bartomeus , n . , beauchemin , a . , beckham , j . , cromartie , j . , day , l . , droege , s . , evans , e . , fiscus , d . , fraser , d . , gadallah , z . , gall , l . , gardner , j . , gill , d . , golick , d . , heinrich , b . , hinds , p . , hines , h . , irwin , r . , jean , r . , klymko , j . , koch , j . , macphail , v . , martineau , r . , martins , k . , matteson , k . , mcfarland , k . , milam , j . , moisan - deserres , j . , morrison , f . , ogden , j . , packer , l . , richardson , l . , savard , m . , scott , v . , scully , c . , sheffield , c . , sikes , d . , strange , j . , surrette , s . , thomas , c , thompson , j . , veit , m . , wetherill , k . , williams , n . , williams , p . , winfree , r . , yanega , d . & zahendra , s .

foltz jordan , s . , hatfield , r . , colla , s . & macphail , v .

justification : according to our analysis , this widespread north american species has not exhibited rangewide decline in recent years ( hatfield et al . 2014 ) . specifically , the average decline of 0 % ( based on relative abundance , persistence , and range ) suggests a least concern category for this species . note that this analysis did not consider the mexican distribution of this species , however , since this species is known from very few records in a small area of mexico ( labougle 1990 , ecosur 2014 ) , the mexican data would not have significantly impacted the above results . our findings are consistent with other reports that the species is stable or increasing throughout the eastern and central portions of its range ( colla and packer 2008 , grixti et al . 2009 , colla et al . 2012 ) . based on the above calculations and trends , along with published reports of bumble bee decline and the assessors ' best professional judgement , we recommend this species for the least concern red list category at this time .

2014 ) . it also occurs rarely in mexico , where it is limited in distribution to the trans - mexican volcanic belt ( eje volcánico transversal ) , a volcanic belt that extends from west to east across central - southern mexico ( labougle 1990 ) . known mexican localities are from ( 1 ) the state of mexico ( estado de méxico ) : toluca and santa elena - toluca ; ( 2 ) the federal district ( distrito federal ) ; ( 3 ) the volcán , popocatépetl ( labougle 1990 ) ; and ( 4 ) the states of tlaxcala and hidalgo ( r . vandame pers . comm . 2014 ) . there are 21 records for this species in the current database of mexican bumble bee records ( ecosur 2014 , including holdings from ecosur and other collections ) .

for a graph and map of relative abundance and range changes of this species over time see the supplementary material .

canada ( alberta , british columbia , manitoba , new brunswick , newfoundland i , northwest territories , nova scotia , ontario , prince edward i . , québec , saskatchewan ) ; mexico ( méxico distrito federal , méxico state ) ; united states ( alaska , arizona , california , colorado , idaho , illinois , iowa , kansas , maine , massachusetts , michigan , minnesota , missouri , montana , nebraska , nevada , new hampshire , new jersey , new mexico , new york , north dakota , ohio , oregon , south dakota , utah , vermont , washington , west virginia , wisconsin , wyoming )

populations of this bee appear to be stable in most of its range , and may even be increasing in some areas . in a study in illinois , 2007 surveys of 57 sites across the state revealed

2009 ) . in another regional study in southern ontario , colla and packer ( 2008 ) found this species had over two times greater relative abundance in 2004 - 2006 than was exhibited during surveys at these same sites a few decades earlier ( 1971 - 1973 ) .

range - wide , this species also appears to be stable . in a large study considering over 69 , 000 bumblebee specimens representing 21 species collected from 1865 - 2010 in eastern north america , colla

. ( 2012 ) assessed changes in relative abundance and occupancy of this species and ranked its conservation status throughout the entire united states and canadian range . this study found

persisted in 67 % of re - sampled historically occupied 50 x 50 km grid cells throughout its united states and canada range , and significantly increased in relative abundance over the time periods examined .

common throughout its range , but note that it had disappeared from the san francisco bay area by 2002 , an area where it was historically uncommon ( mcfrederick and lebuhn 2006 ) .

the population of this species in central mexico is apparently isolated from the united states populations , and with very few ( 21 ) records , its status is not well - known . surveys in this region from 2012 to 2014 were unable to detect this species ( r . vandame pers . comm . 2014 ) .

2014 ) . we also assessed changes in the species’ relative abundance ( see figure 1 in the supplementary material ) , which we consider to be an index of abundance relevant to the taxon , as specified by the iucn red list categories and criteria ( iucn 2012 ) . for all three calculations we divided the database into historical ( 1805 - 2001 , n = 128 , 572 ) and current ( 2002 - 2012 , n = 74 , 682 ) records . this timeframe was chosen to meet the iucn criteria stipulation that species decline must have been observed over the longer of three generations or 10 years . average decline for this species was calculated by averaging the change in abundance , persistence , and eoo . this analysis yielded the following results ( see also the graph of relative abundance and map of change in eoo over time in the supplementary material ) :

conservation needs : specific conservation needs for this species have not been identified . due to the inherent vulnerability of many bumble bee species and importance of supporting wild bee populations for pollination services , the following general conservation practices are recommended :

restore , create and preserve natural high - quality habitats to include suitable forage , nesting and overwintering sites .

restrict pesticide use on or near suitable habitat , particularly while treated plants are in flower .

promote farming practices that increase of nitrogen - fixing fallow ( legumes ) and other pollinator - friendly plants along field margins .

research needs : in addition , the northern area of this species ' range is undersampled ( hatfield et al . 2014 ) . further surveys of this species are needed in mexico , where the status and population trends are not well - known ( r . vandame pers . comm . 2014 ) . additional research needs for north american bumble bees ( as a whole ) are summarized in cameron et al . ( 2011 ) , the final report for the 2010 north american bumble bee species conservation planning workshop .

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reprinted with permission from : mitchell , t . b . 1962 bees of the eastern united states . north carolina agricultural experiment station technical bulletin no . 152 .

worker—length 11 - 12 . 5 mm . , breadth of abdomen 5 - 5 . 5 mm . ; quite similar to queen but pubescence relatively more elongate , with considerable variation in the pattern of pubescence on abdominal terga , with some black pubescence evident on the more median terga in some specimens .

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due to latency between updates made in state , provincial or other natureserve network databases and when they appear on natureserve explorer , for state or provincial information you may wish to contact the data steward in your jurisdiction to obtain the most current data . please refer to

queens of this species begin activity later in the season than most others ( grixti et al . , 2009 ) , a trait that is shown by williams et al . ( 2009 ) to predispose bumblebees to declines in various parts of the world .

use the generic guidelines for the application of occurrence ranks ( 2008 ) . the key for ranking species occurrences using the generic approach provides a step - wise process for implementing this method .

zoological data developed by natureserve and its network of natural heritage programs ( see local programs ) and other contributors and cooperators ( see sources ) .

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often cited as " redbelted " bumble bee , but use of a hyphen is generally preferred when citing common names ( see aou and bou bird checklists ) .

the female castes can differ in color of facial hairs as this is often yellow in queens but mostly black in workers .

males have large eyes and are relatively small . those with red on t3 - t4 are distinctive but those without can be confused with griseocollis ( not black corners on t2 in most of those ) and nevadensis ( note yellow on t3 in that species ) . antennal proportions are quite helpful . the eyes are less closely approximated above than in nevadensis .

transcontinental . best known at northern sites and in the western mountains . very local in occurrence in the northeastern united states but locally numerous at some sites , such as near albany , new york . some surprising , disjunct records are known from new york and also new jersey ( j . s . ascher , unpublished ) .

typical open sites , especially prairies , but also mountain meadows and sometimes unusual places such as quarries or pine barrens . not generally distributed and seems to avoid cities .

the hosts section of its discover life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images .

18 pinned adult images plus detailed description of queen , worker , male , distribution , seasonality ( discoverlife . org )

contributed by beatriz moisset on 6 july , 2005 - 5 : 51pm additional contributions by robin mcleod , mike quinn , john s . ascher , h . go last updated 7 march , 2016 - 5 : 47pm

global range : ( > 2 , 500 , 000 square km ( greater than 1 , 000 , 000 square miles ) ) mitchell ( 1962 ) gives the range as pacific coast to michigan , maine and quebec , so apparently this is a rather northern species at least eastward . the urltoken site gives a very similar eastern range and indicates the species to be very widespread ( south to arizona ) in the west ( www . bumblebee . org ) . schmidt and jacobson ( 2005 ) confirm the species as widespread , mostly above 2500 meters , in northern arizona .

lectotype : 1863 . proceedings of the entomological society of america . 2 : 106 .

hilty , j . editor . 2015 . insect visitors of illinois wildflowers . world wide web electronic publication . illinoiswildflowers . info , version ( 09 / 2015 ) see : abbreviations for insect activities , abbreviations for scientific observers , references for behavioral observations

note : for many non - migratory species , occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations .

the following is a representative barcode sequence , the centroid of all available sequences for this species . there are 7 barcode sequences available from bold and genbank .

below is a sequence of the barcode region cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 ( coi or cox1 ) from a member of the species .

reasons : this species is a relatively widespread northern and western bumble bee that is not reported by any recent sources to be declining widely . while it seems to have disappeared around san franciso , it appears to be increasing in some places . it is also not a member of any subgenus in which declines have been reported or documented . it is secure for now but , like most bumblebees , its status should be monitored .

comments : queens of this species begin activity later in the season than most others ( grixti et al . , 2009 ) , a trait that is shown by williams et al . ( 2009 ) to predispose bumblebees to declines in various parts of the world .

comments : no recent sources report this species to be in serious range - wide decline , and colla and packer ( 2008 ) report a slight , but statistically significant , increase recently in southern ontario . see also williams et al . ( 2009 ) . it possibly has also increased in northern illinois , which would be at the southern edge of the eastern range ( grixti et al . , 2009 ) . tuell et al . ( 2008 ) also had this species in their samples in michigan . mcfrederick and lebuhn ( 2005 ) were unable to detect this recently common species in the san francisco area .

comments : no recent studies suggest this species to be threatened on a large scale . at a more localized scale habitat changes , pesticides etc . can have a negative impact . the decline around san francisco might be relate in part to competition from b . vosnesenskii .

comments : at least many current habitats are secure , possibly unprotected from other threats .

eol content is automatically assembled from many different content providers . as a result , from time to time you may find pages on eol that are confusing .

to request an improvement , please leave a comment on the page . thank you !

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checklist of apoidea of north america . . . - 12 - oct - 2006 , manuscript ( version 12 - oct - 06 )

john ascher , connal eardley , terry griswold , gabriel melo , andrew polaszek , michael ruggiero , paul williams , ken walker , and natapot warrit . additional credits noted at : urltoken ; = apoidea _ species

krombein , karl v . , paul d . hurd , jr . , david r . smith , and b . d . burks

catalog of hymenoptera in america north of mexico , vol . 2 : apocrita ( aculeata )

bulletin of the natural history museum ( entomology ) , vol . 67 , no . 1

disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .

confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .

to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .

disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .

this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .


the dwarf manatee ( trichechus pygmaeus , or mistakenly trichechus bernhardi ) is a possible species of manatee found in the freshwater habitats of the amazon , though restricted to one tributary of the aripuanã river .

according to marc van roosmalen , the scientist who proposed it as a new species , it lives in shallow , fast-running water , and feeds on different species of aquatic plants from the amazonian manatee , which prefers deeper , slower-moving waters and the plants found there .

the dwarf manatee reportedly migrates upriver during the rainy season when the river floods to the headwaters and shallow ponds .

based on its small range , the dwarf manatee is suggested to be considered critically endangered , but at present it is not recognized by the iucn .

the dwarf manatee is typically about 130 cm ( 4.3 ft ) long , and weighs about 60 kg ( 130 lb ) , making it the smallest extant sirenians .

it is overall very dark , almost black , with a white patch on the abdomen .

it may actually represent an immature amazonian manatee , but it is reported to differ in proportions and colour .

it is , however , at least very closely related , as mtdna has failed to reveal any difference between the two .

mutation rates in manatees – if the dwarf manatee is distinct – suggests a divergence time of less than 485,000 years .

daryl domning , a smithsonian institution research associate and one of the world 's foremost experts on manatee evolution , has stated that the dna evidence actually proves that these merely are immature amazonian manatees .

dwarf manatee

dwarf manatee <EOT> however , the validity of the dwarf manatee as a species is the subject of debate , with some believing it to be an immature amazonian manatee .

dwarf sperm whales are usually solitary , but have occasionally been seen in small pods .

the dwarf sperm whale is the smallest species commonly known as a whale . it grows up to

picture info : picture 1 : marc van roosmalen with juv . female dwarf marmoset callibella humilis picture 2 : dwarf manatee , trichechus pygmaeus picture 3 : marc van roosmalen with dwarf manatee , trichechus pygmaeus picture 4 : callicebus ( hoffmansi ) sp . nov . rio mamuru titi monkey picture 5 : agouti - colored agouti dasyprocta sp . nov . picture 6 : cacajao ( calvus ) sp . nov . rio pauini bald - headed uakary

the amazonian manatee are the smallest ones out there . they are only found in freshwater locations . this is where the debate for the dwarf manatee comes in . they too are only seen in freshwater . they are extremely small so they are termed dwarf to identify them . many researchers feel that they are genetically mutated from the amazonian though and not a distinctly different species .

the manatee has been protected by peruvian law since 1973 , via supreme decree 934 - 73 - ag , prohibiting hunting and commercial use of the manatee .

the manatee consumes approximately 8 % of its body weight in food per day .

there are no national management plans for the amazonian manatee , except in colombia .

there is a debate about there being three or four species of manatees . since it isn’t known for sure , i think it is only right to touch on all four of them here . the manatee species that have been identified are the florida manatee , the west african manatee , and the amazonian manatee . the one that is debated over is the dwarf manatee . some feel they are a separate species while others view them as a smaller version of others out there . only time will tell what the verdict is on that one .

according to van roosmalen’s scientific description of the dwarf manatee , it lives in one of the tributaries of rio aripuanã where it inhabits shallow , fast running water . this distinguishes it from the amazonian manatee which is known to prefer deep and slow moving waters and is found throughout a much larger part of south america . there is also a difference in diet ; both animals feed on aquatic plants but on different species . in addition to this , there is a significant disparity in both proportions and colour . the dwarf manatee weighs about 60 kg as an adult and has a dark , almost black , body adorned with a white patch on the abdomen . the amazonian manatee is much larger than the dwarf manatee and can weigh over 500 kg . this difference has been used by both sides ; those who believe that it is a separate species and those who believe it to be an immature amazonian manatee .

the dwarf manatee ( trichechus “pygmaeus” , or mistakenly trichechus “bernhardi” ) is a possible species of manatee that lives in the freshwater habitats of the amazon , though restricted to one tributary of the aripuanã river . according to marc van roosmalen , the scientist who proposes it as a new species , it lives in shallow , fast running water and feeds on different species of aquatic plants than the amazonian manatee , which prefers deeper slower moving waters and the plants found there . based on its tiny range , it has been suggested that the dwarf manatee is critically endangered , but at present it is not recognized by the iucn .

the amazonian manatee lacks nails on its flippers , setting it apart from other manatees .

they are occasionally found overlapping with the west indian manatee along the coasts of brazil .

all three species of manatee—the amazonian manatee , west indian manatee , and west african manatee—and the related dugong are considered vulnerable ( defined as facing a high risk of extinction in the wild ) by the iucn red list of threatened species . this is due to a variety of threats including boat collisions , hunting , habitat destruction , and toxic red tides .

international trade of the amazonian manatee and any of its products is prohibited under appendix i of cites . other local projects and organizations helping to conserve the manatee include projeto peixe - boi / centre for aquatic mammals , mamiraua project and the friends of the manatee association . amazonian manatee hunting has been prohibited since 1973 ; however , its population trend is still decreasing .

the manatee does not have incisors or canine teeth , only cheek teeth ( molars ) .

the dwarf sperm whale was actively hunted by commercial whalers . occasional harpoon kills are still made by indonesian and japanese fishermen . since the dwarf is more coastal than the pygmy , it may be more vulnerable to human activities such as fishing and pollution . insufficient data exist as to whether such activities threaten the species survival .

as the story goes , marc came across the skull of a dwarf manatee and , suspecting it was a new species , searched for it for two years before finding a living specimen . upon locating a couple , he fenced in a portion of the river and studied them in their natural habitat for four months . like its saltwater brethren , the dwarf river manatee lives mostly off aquatic plants but hopes someday to land a lucrative career as a pet in japan . much more info can be found on marc’s site .

5 . the amazonian manatee ( trichechus inunguis ) lives entirely in freshwater rivers throughout south america in the amazon basin . it is hard to estimate their numbers due to their secretive nature and the murky water where they often live . a fourth dwarf manatee species was described in the mid - 2000s , but this claim was called into question and it is believed to actually be a juvenile amazonian manatee . the main threat to this species is illegal harpoon hunting for subsistence .

see the supplementary material for table 1 : summary of reported data by country for extant manatee populations .

, comes from latin meaning " hair " , referencing the whiskers around the manatee ' s mouth .

the manatee ' s upper lip is modified into a large bristly surface , which is deeply divided .

as of 1977 the population count of the amazonian manatee was estimated to be around 10 , 000 .

i met marc two years ago on a school trip to the amazon rain forest and we traveled down the aripuana tributary where he found the dwarf manatee . unfortunately we didn’t see one , but we did see its teethmarks left behind on the aquatic grass it feeds from = )

the manatee has thick stubby bristles on this mouth . this helps it to uproot foot on the river bed .

maintaining an herbivorous diet , the manatee has a similar post - gastric digestive process to that of the horse .

the amazonian manatee occurs exclusively in freshwater and is the only manatee to do so . it prefers blackwater lakes , oxbows and lagoons . they seem to live most successfully in temperatures of 22 - 30’c ( 72 - 86’f ) .

the manatee has muscular lips which it uses with its front flippers to grab food and pull it into its mouth .

dwarf manatees are typically about 130 cm long , and weigh about 60 kg , making them the smallest extant sirenians . it is overall very dark , almost black , with a white patch on the abdomen . it has been suggested that it actually represents an immature amazonian manatee , but they are reported to differ in proportions and colour . they are , however , at least very closely related , as mtdna has failed to reveal any difference between the two . based on mutation rates in manatees – if the dwarf manatee is distinct – this suggests a divergence time of less than 485 , 000 years . daryl domning , a smithsonian institution research associate and the world’s foremost experts on manatee evolution , has stated that the dna evidence actually proves that these merely are immature amazonian manatees .

mgmvr : my website designer mistakenly named the dwarf manatee after the late prince bernhard of the netherlands like i had done with the new titi monkey callicebus bernhardi in my 2002 review of the genus callicebus . it took a while before i noticed it on my website . i then changed the name into trichechus pygmaeus as in the paper i submitted earlier to nature .

the dwarf sperm whale ( kogia sima , formerly kogia simus ) is one of three extant species in the sperm whale family . they are not often sighted at sea , and most extant information comes from the study of stranded carcasses .

l marino , k sudheimer , da pabst , wa mclellan , and ji johnson ( 2003 ) . magnetic resonance images of the brain of a dwarf sperm whale ( kogia simus ) . journal of anatomy , 203 ( 1 ) : 57–76

still , splitting hairs can only go so far . if the pictured animal is adult , that’s a different manatee , whatever science calls it .

yeah there is a dvd out about this guy and his search for the pygmy manatee . it is real interesting . it is called the species hunter

for more information on the efforts underway to defend the manatee’s discoverer marc roosmalen against the allegedly fictional charges he is facing in brazil , visit urltoken .

the amazonian manatee has the smallest degree of rostral deflection ( 25° to 41° ) among sirenians , an adaptation to feed closer to the water surface .

the amazonian manatee has a large paddle like tail which helps propel it through the water . it moves at 5mph but can reach speeds of up to 15mph .

regardless of whether this is truly is new species or merely an immature version of the amazonian manatee , i certainly agree with christopher collinson’s comments on the tetrapod zoology blog : “ on a side note , why the heck are those dwarf manatees so friggen adorable ? they have way more cutesy factor than any one animal should be allowed to posess , its at least like a million times more than regular old plain jane manatees . ”

i give the chinese about two weeks to discover the incredible , magical , aphrodisiac powers from dried , ground pygmy manatee testicles . these things are f - ed .

the amazon ox manatee is gray and bears a white patch on its chest or several white markings on its chest and abdomen . its body is covered with fine hairs and its upper and lower lips are covered with thick bristles . it has two axillary mammae . the largest manatee recorded was a male 2 . 8m in length .

mgmvr : claims that the holotype skull and mandible of the dwarf manatee that i collected simply represent a juvenile common amazonian manatee trichechus inunguis come from daryl domning , who was the referee for the article on the dwarf manatee . it was therefore rejected for publication by the editors of nature . since then i have seen several solitary ranging specimens of the ‘pretinho’ – as the animal is called in the area of the rio arauazinho , the only clearwater - river in which it seems to occur – that were all adults of about 1 . 3 m long . we even kept alive an adult male my field assistant had captured before . after four months it managed to escape from the coral we had constructed in a bend of the rio arauazinho . this specimen also measured 1 . 3 m and weighed only 60 kg . we fed him with the species’ prime food eleocharis minima , an amphibious grass belonging to the cyperaceae . he only took it in if we had fixed the grass on the sandy bottom of his pan . a specimen of the common amazonian manatee of this size and weight would still have been nursed by its mother and would not have fed on any plant material at all . it soon would have starved to death .

the amazonian manatees of peru have experienced much of their decline due to hunting by human populations for meat , blubber , skin and other materials that can be collected from the manatee .

the discovery of a valid species of pygmy sea cow calls for a review of the latest on the amazonian dwarf manatee debate . in regard to this alleged new species , wikipedia has a good , new ( december 23 , 2009 ) overview of what has occurred since the announced “discovery” of this new species , written possibly by an unknown british or canadian author ( rn1970 ? ) , ( given in plain text below to retain the italicized names , which are critical to the passage ) :

at this time manatees made their first appearance in caribbean and in north america . they evolved in rivers of sa and only at this time spread north to caribbean . at this time they evolved renewable teeth to withstand wear of griding sea grasses . perhaps disappearance of dugongs , manatees filled the vacuum ( domning , sa ; " west indian tuskers " ) there are three living species of manatee ( family trichechidae ) and one species of dugong ( family dugongidae ) ( fig . 1 ) ) . the florida manatee ( trechcus manatus latirostris ) is one subspecies of the west indian manatee . the antilian manatee ( trichechus manatus manatus ) is the other west indian subspecies . west indian manatees occupy coastal and estuarine waters throughout the caribbean .

this might not be news for some of you , but for those of you that has missed it : a new species of manatee might have been encountered by dr marc van roosmalen in the brazilian amazon ! not only is this believed to be an entirely new species of manatee ; it is also the smallest living member of the order sirenia , measuring no more than 130 cm as an adult .

probably the most well known group of manatee is the florida species . people come from all over to watch them during the year . this is also the place where many manatees migrate in the winter months as they have to move to warmer bodies of water . it is important to understand that the term florida manatee pertains to those that are there all year as well as many that migrate there .

dwarf sperm whales and pygmy sperm whales are unique among cetaceans in using a form of " ink " to evade predation in a manner similar to squid . both species have a sac in the lower portion of their intestinal tract that contains up to 12 l of dark reddish - brown fluid , which can be ejected to confuse or discourage potential predators .

the dwarf sperm whale is similar in appearance and behavior to its relative , the pygmy sperm whale . identification may be close to impossible at sea ; however , the dwarf is slightly smaller and has a larger dorsal fin . the body is mainly bluish gray with a lighter underside with possible yellowish vein - like streaks . a white false gill is behind each eye . the flippers are very short and broad . the top of the snout overhangs the lower jaw , which is small . dwarves have long , curved , sharp teeth ( none to six in the upper jaw and between 14 and 26 in the lower ) . these teeth led to the species being described as the " rat porpoise " in the lower antilles .

gallican g . j . , r . c . best , and j . w . kanwisher . 1982 . temperature regulation in the amazonian manatee trichechus inunguis . physiological zoology the university of chicago press 255 - 262 .

today , the dwarf sperm whale is generally classified as one of two species , along with the pygmy sperm whale , in the family kogiidae and genus kogia . the two species were not regarded as separate until 1966 . most taxonomists regard the family kogiidae as belonging to the superfamily physeteroidea , though some consider this taxon to be a subfamily ( kogiinae ) of the family physeteridae .

pazin - guterres , michelle ( 2014 ) . " feeding ecology of the amazonian manatee ( trichechus inunguis ) in the mamirauá and amanã sustainable development reserves , brazil . " . aquatic mammals 40 ( 2 ) : 139–149 .

- manatees are closely related to elephants , - another name for the amazonian manatee is yara , which is a brazilian indian word meaning ‘lady of the water’ . - manatees are believed to be the origin of the mermaid myths .

the similarity in dna as analysed by my geneticist in the netherlands could be explained for as follows . either some gene flow has taken place between the inunguis population of the rio aripuanã and the ancient pygmaeus population that was allopatrically confined to the rio arauazinho during the last glacials of the late - pleistocene and holocene when ocean levels dropped over 100 - 120 m . but during the interglacials males of inunguis theoretically could have mated once - in - a - while with pygmaeus females while foraging during the annual flood in the clearwater floodplain forest ( igapó ) of the lower rio arauazinho . or , during one of the last glacials a population of inunguis got trapped in the rio arauazinho basin and had to drastically change its feeding and foraging habits and dwarf in a time scale of some tens of thousand years at the most . we know that this is possible from a number of other creatures that dwarfed in relatively short periods of time , such as the now extinct homo floresiensis from the isle of flores and the dwarf elephant elephas cretensis from the isle of crete . nobody objects if palaeontologists give extinct creatures species status but many question the validity of new extant species if not backed up by dna genome analysis . this is bad news for nature conservationists with a species protection approach like me . if the dwarf manatee would have been accepted by the scientific community as a full and valid species , announced as such in nature , no doubt the whole rio arauazinho would have been declared a rigidly protected nature reserve . it is sad to witness that because of scientific squabbling over taxonomy , a unique population of maybe not more than one hundred dwarf manatees is going extinct soon after the lower rio aripuanã basin has been declared a ‘sustainable development reserve’ . in nowadays brazil that means a ‘carte blanche’ to destruction .

) are found only in the united states , although a few vagrants have been known to reach the bahamas . their year - round distribution is restricted to peninsular florida because they need warm water to survive the winter . during the non - winter months ( march to november ) , some manatees disperse to adjoining states . along the atlantic coast these states include georgia ( highest manatee use outside of florida ) , south carolina , north carolina , and virginia ; one satellite - tagged manatee traveled as far north as rhode island ( deutsch

the amazonian manatee is a seasonal breeder with a gestational period of 12–14 months and a prolonged calving period . most births take place between december and july , with about 63 % between february and may , during a time of rising river levels in their native region .

13 . if you are a mammal—whether that’s a human , giraffe , whale or rat—then you typically have seven neck vertebrae . only tree sloths and manatees have an irregular number of vertebrae—just six for the manatee . scientists think this may have to do with their slow metabolism .

the gestation period of an amazonian manatee is one year . breeding has been reported to occur throughout the year but reproduction in the central amazon basin is seasonal as nearly all births take place from december – july ( mainly from february – may when the water level rises ) . a female manatee will give birth to one calf every two years . the calf will measure about 30 inches ( 80 cm ) at birth . it will begin to nurse after a few hours by suckling from a teat under the pectoral flippers and will do so underwater .

international trade of this species is prohibited due to its listing on appendix i of cites ( 4 ) . this species has suffered huge losses but is locally abundant in the more remote regions of the amazonian river basin . however , it is very difficult to control hunting in these economically depressed areas and they are still killed for meat ( 3 ) . while numerous federal , state , and local conservation measures are in place to protect the florida manatee ( t . manatus latirostris ) , south america has limited resources for funding comprehensive conservation projects . several effective programs in brazil include surveys by projeto peixe - boi / center for aquatic mammals ( 14 ) , sustainable use research by mamirauá project ( 15 ) , and education / outreach efforts by the friends of the manatee association ( 16 ) . the harbour branch division of marine mammal research and conservation conducts manatee conservation outreach programs in brazil and plays an important role in rehabilitating injured , sick or orphaned individuals ( 12 ) . it is hoped that these measures combined with stronger hunting laws will allow the ancient and wonderful amazonian manatee to recover ( 12 ) ( 13 ) .

3 . warm water is a must for the west indian and west african manatee species . with low metabolic rates and minimal fat protection from cold water , they stick to water that is 60 degrees or warmer . they may look fat and insulated , but the large body of the manatee is mostly made up of their stomach and intestines ! in colder months , they find their way to warm river tributaries or warm water outputs from power plants . in 2010 at least 246 manatees died in florida due to cold stress from the colder - than - normal winter .

seasonal breeding in the amazonian manatee , trichechus inunguis ( mammalia : sirenia ) robin c . best biotropica , vol . 14 , no . 1 ( mar . , 1982 ) , pp . 76 - 78 published by : the association for tropical biology and conservation article stable url : urltoken

once known to occur in large herds and have healthy populations ( 2 ) , the amazonian manatee has suffered from extensive hunting by subsistence and commercial hunters . it has been sought for meat , oil and fat , and at one time for its hide , which was in demand for use as water hoses and machine belts ( 7 ) . threats now include hunting and accidental drowning in commercial fishing nets . the deforestation of large areas of the forests surrounding this manatee ' s river habitats has also caused soil erosion , degradation of food supplies and the reduction of vegetation in the waterways ( 7 ) .

classified as vulnerable ( vu a1cd ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) , listed on appendix i of cites ( 4 ) , and listed as endangered by the us endangered species act . ( 5 ) . the amazonian manatee also has a global heritage status rank of g2 ( 5 ) .

the west african manatee continues to decrease in numbers . they are found along africa in the tropical and sub tropical waters . they tend to be losing their natural habitat due to global warming as well as human interactions . conservation efforts there aren’t as great as in the usa though and that is a concern .

regardless of which species a manatee belongs to , they all have certain things in common . they are very gentle creatures as well as very intelligent . they are herbivores and live their entire lives in the water . they must find water that is at least 60 degrees fahrenheit or warmer in order to survive .

the amazonian manatee is a most bizarre - looking aquatic mammal , and was first described as a curious combination of a hippopotamus and a seal ( 6 ) . its body is large , dark grey to black and smooth - skinned , and its forelimbs are modified into flippers like a seal ' s ( 17 ) . it has no hind limbs , and the rear of the body forms a flat , rounded horizontal paddle ( 7 ) . the head is rounded , with nostrils on the upper surface of the snout ( 8 ) . the amazonian manatee is smaller and more slender than the other two manatee species ( west indian manatees trichechus manatus and west african manatees t . senegalensis ) ( 7 ) . it can also be identified by the lack of nails on its flippers , a characteristic referred to in its scientific name , t . inunguis , which literally means ' no nails ' ( 9 ) . a unique feature ( amongst mammals ) of the manatee is the constant replacement of molar teeth ; new teeth enter at the back of the jaw and replace old and worn teeth at the front ( 10 ) . recent evidence suggests that manatees may possess a unique 6th sense that enables them to detect pressure changes through sensory hairs ( 11 ) .

metabolism and respiration of the amazonian manatee ( trichechus inunguis ) . g . j . gallivan and r . c . best . physiological zoology , vol . 53 , no . 3 ( jul . , 1980 ) , pp . 245 - 253 . published by : the university of chicago press . article stable url : urltoken

other highly memorable discoveries were those of some large terrestrial mammals whose existence i did not know of until i had close encounters with them while hiking alone through the forest . first spotting of a giant peccary ( pecari maximus ) family silently crossing my trail while i was watching a group of gray sakis in the canopy , or a group of dwarf peccaries ( pecari ? ) bumping literally into my feet while chasing one another through the undergrowth . and , back in camp , asking the locals what the hell the creature was that i had come upon that day…

eventually , however , van roosmalen ' s iconoclastic style bred resentment . in a country where foreigners—especially foreign scientists—are often regarded with suspicion , his pale complexion and heavily accented portuguese marked him as an outsider , even after he became a naturalized brazilian citizen in 1997 . colleagues were irked by van roosmalen ' s habit of failing to fill out the cumbersome paperwork required by the institute before venturing into the field . they also questioned his methodology . for example , says mario cohn - haft , an american ornithologist at inpa , he often based his findings of a new species on a single live , orphaned monkey , whose provenance could not be proved and whose fur color and other traits might have been altered in captivity . louise emmons , an adjunct zoologist at the smithsonian institution , characterizes van roosmalen ' s discovery of a new species of peccary as " not convincing scientifically , " and smithsonian research associate daryl domning questions his " discovery " of a dwarf manatee on an amazon tributary . " there ' s no doubt at all in my mind that his ' new species ' is nothing but immature individuals of the common amazonian manatee , " says domning . " this is even confirmed by the dna evidence he himself cites . "

evoked brain potentials demonstrate hearing in a manatee ( trichechus inunguis ) . theodore h . bullock , daryl p . domning and robin c . best , journal of mammalogy , vol . 61 , no . 1 ( feb . , 1980 ) , pp . 130 - 133 published by : american society of mammalogists article stable url : urltoken

the manatee is a large , cylinder shaped animal where the general coloration is grey , although most amazonian manatees have a distinct white or bright pink patch on the chest . the forelimbs have been modified into flippers and have a flat , rounded , horizontal paddle at the rear . the upper lip has evolved into a large , bristly surface .

11 . manatee brains are smooth ( compared to our own that have the familiar ins and outs of cortical folds ) and the ratio of their brain to their body size is the lowest of any mammal . they may not be as clever as dolphins , but manatees can learn basic tasks , are extremely sensitive to touch and can differentiate colors .

ecology , distribution , harvest , and conservation of the amazonian manatee trichechus inunguis in ecuador robert m . timm , luis albuja v . and barbara l . clauson biotropica , vol . 18 , no . 2 ( jun . , 1986 ) , pp . 150 - 156 published by : the association for tropical biology and conservation article stable url : urltoken

i once read a claim that in this day and age , there cannot be anymore large animals out there to be discovered , besides the stuff lurking around in the deep oceans . and lo and behold , they go and find a manatee , which , if it’s like its larger cousin , is not prone to evading detection . so what else is out there ?

the amazonian manatee’s main threat is hunting by subsistence and commercial hunters . they have been sought for their meat , oil and fat , and in the past , its hide , which could be used for water hoses and belts . other threats to this creature include accidental drowning in commercial fishing nets and degradation of food supplies by soil erosion , which is caused by deforestation .

ecology , distribution , harvest , and conservation of the amazonian manatee trichechus inunguis in ecuador . robert m . timm , luis albuja v . and barbara l . clauson . biotropica , vol . 18 , no . 2 ( jun . , 1986 ) , pp . 150 - 156 . published by : the association for tropical biology and conservation . article stable url : urltoken

the dwarf sperm whale prefers deep water , but is more coastal than the pygmy sperm . its favorite habitat appears to be just off the continental shelf . in the atlantic , strandings have been observed in virginia , united states in the west and spain and the united kingdom in the east , and as far south as southern brazil and the tip of africa . in the indian ocean , specimens have been found on the south coast of australia and on many places along the indian ocean ' s northern coast - from south africa to indonesia . in the pacific , the known range includes the japanese coast and british columbia . no global population estimates have been made . one survey estimated a population of about 11 , 000 in the eastern pacific .

we are not sure what the bigger story here is : the discovery of a new species of tiny adorable river manatee or the fact that this happened in july and we just learned about it last week ! anyway , these critters were discovered by a pioneering amazonian biologist by the name of marc van roosmalen and covered by darren naish of tetrapod zoology a few months back . tetrapod is kind of the better researched , actually informative , articulate and all around nerdier version of zooillogix .

the amazonian manatee ( trichechus ininguis ) lives entirely in the amazon river and its tributaries . a third species of manatee , the west african , ( trichechus senagalensis ) occupies the coastal waterways of the west african continent . dugongs ( dugong dugon ) occupy the marine coasts of east africa , the indian subcontinent , malaysia , indonesia and northern australia . a fifth , and largest sirenian of recent times , the stellars sea cow ( hydrodamalis gigas ) , was also a member of the family dugongidae . these enormous sirenians had evolved further to occupy the colder waters along the shores of the eastern pacific ocean . these animals survived off the aleutian islands until 1872 , when the last animal of this species was killed for food , 28 years after being first sighted . although there is only one living species of dugong , ancestors resembling them were diverse and widely distributed in the fossil record . sirenians were most diverse in the miocene ( 5 - 25 mya ) when tropical conditions were widespread .

14 . manatees have no natural predators in the wild but humans have played a large part in making all three species at risk of extinction . about half of west indian manatee deaths are caused by humans , and most are due to boat collisions . manatees are quite buoyant and use their horizontally placed diaphragm and breathing to control their buoyancy . this and their average speed of 3 to 5 miles per hour means that manatees are way too slow to escape from the path of a speeding boat .

in september 2002 , wildlife - researcher dr marc van roosmalen collected a complete skull from a recently killed specimen , but it would take an additional two years before he could finally photograph , film and examine a live specimen in its natural environment . as per usual when a new mammal is “discovered” , the species is only new to the scientific community , not to the locals of the area , and the skull of the specimen collected by van roosmalen came from a manatee that had been killed and eaten by the locals .

. 2003 ) , and another manatee was observed in new york ( long island ) . along the gulf coast west of florida , manatees are occasionally sighted in alabama , mississippi , louisiana , and texas . the source ( florida or mexico ) of the texas manatees is not always clear , but the weight of recent genetic and other evidence suggests most are from the florida subspecies . major freshwater bodies utilized by manatees in florida include lake okeechobee , st . johns river , suwannee river , caloosahatchee river , among others .

despite their size and stubbly snout , manatees seem cute and cuddly to many ocean visitors . these large , slow - moving marine mammals hang out in coastal areas and rivers where florida spring - breakers can easily see them and think that it is a good idea to hop on for a ride . not only is this and other forms of harassment such as hugging the sea creatures illegal ( the west indian manatee is listed as endangered in the united states ) , but it can also impact manatees’ natural behavior , changing the way they interact with humans .

justification : listed as vulnerable because the number of mature individuals is currently estimated to number less than 10 , 000 ( based on combined population estimates for the florida and antillean subspecies ) and is expected to decline at a rate of at least 10 % over the course of three generations ( given a generation time of ~ 20 years ) as a result of both habitat loss and anthropogenic factors . trichechus manatus latirostris : en c1 : the florida manatee subspecies is listed as endangered on the basis of a population size of less than 2 , 500 mature individuals and the population is estimated to decline by at least 20 % over the next two generations ( estimated at ~ 40 years ) due to anticipated future changes in warm - water habitat and threats from increasing watercraft traffic over the next several decades . trichechus manatus manatus : en c1 : the antillean manatee subspecies is listed as endangered because the current population is estimated at less than 2 , 500 mature individuals and is predicted to undergo a decline of more than 20 % over the next two generations ( estimated at ~ 40 years for an unexploited population , based on t . m . latirostris data ) without effective conservation actions , due to current and projected future anthropogenic threats ( habitat degradation and loss , hunting , accidental fishing - related mortality , pollution , and human disturbance ) .

the west indian manatee is currently divided into the florida ( t . m . latirostris ) and antillean ( t . m . manatus ) subspecies ( hatt 1934 , domning and hayek 1986 ) . recent mtdna data ( garcía - rodríguez et al . 1998 , vianna et al . 2006 ) indicate three distinctive lineages corresponding geographically with : ( 1 ) florida and the greater antilles ; ( 2 ) western and southern gulf of mexico , central america , and nw south america west of the lesser antilles ; and ( 3 ) ne south america east of the lesser antilles . evidence exists for viable hybridization with t . inunguis near the mouth of the amazon , in guyana , french guiana , and possibly suriname .

marc g . m . van roosmalen ( mgmvr ) : most fun but also most time and energy consuming for me was finding the ‘land of dermis’ , where the relatives of dermis occur – the baby black - capped dwarf marmoset that was delivered on my manaus doorstep april 1996 . with decades of experience in keeping all kinds of primates in halfway houses i knew right away that dermis represented a new species of monkey and , undoubtedly , also a new primate genus . that event instantly took away the scepsis in me as a primatologist that nowadays it would be impossible to find new species of primates hitherto unknown to science . the quest that followed to find the monkey’s distribution somewhere in the huge rio madeira basin had me stumbling into a conan doyle type of ‘lost world’ – the rio aripuanã basin – a hotspot of biodiversity that i soon recognized to be a totally new ecosystem within amazonia , whose fauna and flora had never before been inventoried by naturalists , animal collectors , botanists and ornithologists alike . it took me a number of boat surveys to find callibella humilis , a needle in a haystack as big as france . during innumerable surveys of the local rainforest and through interviews with the locals showing pictures of dermis i happened to identify at least five other hitherto undescribed primates in the area .

during the warm season ( march or april through october or november , depending on latitude and year ) , manatees disperse throughout the coastal waters , estuaries , and major rivers of florida and some migrate to neighboring states , particularly south - eastern georgia . their range constricts dramatically in the winter season ( december to february ) when manatees seek shelter from the cold at a limited number of warm - water sites or areas in the southern two - thirds of florida . these sites include 10 principal power plant thermal outfalls ( seven on the atlantic coast , three on the gulf coast ) and four major artesian springs ( blue spring , springs at the head of crystal river , homosassa spring , and warm mineral spring ) that are frequented by a large proportion of the manatee population during winter .

the next morning , our last on the rio negro , the crew anchored the boat at the base of a cliff , and van roosmalen , vivi and i climbed a steep wooden staircase to a nature camp at the edge of the jungle . with a local guide and his two mangy dogs leading the way , we followed a sinuous trail through terre firma vegetation : primary rain forest that , unlike the igapó we ' d been exploring , sits high enough above the river to avoid submersion during the rainy season . van roosmalen pointed out lianas as thick as large anacondas , and explained how these and other epiphytes ( flora , in this setting , that live on other plants in the forest canopy ) function as giant vessels for capturing carbon dioxide , and thus play a vital role in reducing global warming . " the total surface of leaves in a rain forest is a thousand , maybe even a million times bigger than the monoculture they want to convert the amazon into , " he told me . farther down the jungle trail , he showed me a dwarf species of palm tree that captures falling leaves in its basketlike fronds ; the decomposing material scatters around the base of the tree and fortifies the nutrient - poor soil , allowing the palm to thrive . " every creature in the rain forest develops its survival strategy , " he said .

for van roosmalen , the journey into the depths of the brazilian prison system marked the low point of a terrible fall from grace . at the height of his career , just five years earlier , the scientist had been hailed as one of the world ' s most intrepid field naturalists and a passionate voice for rain forest preservation . in his native holland , where he is a household name , he received the country ' s highest environmental honor , the order of the golden ark , from the netherlands ' prince bernhard , consort to queen juliana , in 1997 ; the national geographic documentary species hunter , filmed in 2003 , celebrated his adventurous spirit as he trekked up remote amazonian tributaries in search of rare flora and fauna . van roosmalen claimed to have identified seven never - before - seen species of primates—including a dwarf marmoset and a rare orange - bearded titi monkey—along with a collarless , piglike peccary and a variety of plant and tree species . he had used these discoveries to promote his bold ideas about the amazon ' s unique evolutionary patterns and to give momentum to his quest to carve these genetically distinct zones into protected reserves , where only research and ecotourism would be allowed . " time after time after time , [ van roosmalen has contributed to ] this sense that we ' re still learning about life on earth , " says tom lovejoy , who conceived the public television series nature and today is president of the h . john heinz iii center for science , economics and the environment in washington , d . c .

listed on appendix i of cites . presently there are no national management plans specific for the species , except in colombia . management plans exist for two protected areas ( pacaya samiria in peru and mamiraua reserve in brazil ) , and two communities in colombia ( puerto narino and mocagua ) have informal local management agreements ( ministerio de ambiente , vivienda y desarrollo territorial and fundacin omacha 2005 ) . amazonian manatees have been recorded from two protected areas in ecuador , two in colombia , four in peru and 23 in brazil . unfortunately , hunting continues even within protected areas . presently , inpa ( instituto nacional de pesquisas da amaznia ) cares for 34 captive manatees including eight calves , 18 juveniles and eight adults ( da silva et al . 2006 ) . cppma currently maintains 31 manatees , mostly orphans . so far , the centro mamiferos marinhos - conselho nacional de seringueiros facility in alter - do - cho ( pa , brazil ) has rescued six orphans ( two of which died ) and a sick adult manatee ( luna 2005 pers . comm . ) .

amazonian manatees are aquatic mammals and live almost entirely underwater . indeed the three manatee species and the closely related dugong are unique in that they are the only plant - eating marine mammals ( 7 ) . they feed entirely on aquatic vegetation near lake edges , such as emergent grasses , water lettuce and floating vegetation . shy and secretive , only their nostrils protrude from the surface of the water to breathe as they search for lush vegetation ( 7 ) . despite being slow grazers they are able to consume up to eight percent of their body weight in one day ( 2 ) ( 7 ) . most feeding occurs during the wet season , when they graze upon new plant growth in seasonally flooded water . during the dry season , individuals return to the main water courses , or to deep flooded backwaters where herds congregate ( 7 ) . here they may not eat for weeks or months due to the lack of food . however , manatees have large fat reserves and slow metabolic rates ; at one third of the usual rate for a mammal of its size . this enables them to survive until the water levels rise again and food becomes more abundant ( 2 ) ( 7 ) . these mammals are active by day and night . they are found individually or in small groups of between four and eight animals ( 7 ) . mothers nurse their calves from a teat behind the flipper , and it is the mothers and calves that form the closest bonds ( 7 ) ( 8 ) . a single calf is born after a gestation period of approximately 13 months . it is dependant on its mother for a considerable time , so interbirth intervals may be as long as three and a half years or more . individuals mature at five or six years of age and members maintain group contact by underwater vocalisations ( 8 ) . the lifespan of this animal is unknown , but individuals have lived past twelve and a half years in captivity ( 7 ) .

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gland , switzerland , 5 july 2018 ( iucn ) – australia’s unique reptiles – including lizards and snakes – face severe threats from invasive species and climate change , with 7 % of th . . .

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van roosmalen was let out of jail this past august . " in the best light he was naive , " says a colleague .

in 2000 , time designated van roosmalen a " hero for the planet . " he began his fieldwork in suriname in 1976 . there , amid jaguars , toucans and macaws , he says , you could " feel the breeze of evolution on your neck . "

van roosmalen ( in a rio negro village last year ) says he won ' t go back to jail .

before his arrest , van roosmalen ( with vivi last november ) championed rain forest preserves . " you have to see the amazon basin as an archipelago with islandlike areas , " he argues . " it ' s like the galapagos . each island has its own ecological evolution . "

van roosmalen had high hopes that a captive saki monkey he ' d heard of would turn out to be a new species .

at seven o ' clock in the morning on june 15 , 2007 , the bell rang at the front gate of marc van roosmalen ' s modest house on the outskirts of manaus , brazil . for van roosmalen , a dutch - born primatologist and amazon adventurer who had been chosen one of time magazine ' s " heroes for the planet " in 2000 , that was a somewhat unusual event : visitors had lately become scarce . the 60 - year - old scientist was dwelling in semi - isolation , having separated from his wife , become estranged from his two sons , lost his job at a brazilian research institute and been charged with a raft of offenses , including misusing government property and violating brazil ' s biopiracy laws . but things had begun to turn around for van roosmalen : he had been exonerated in three successive trials and had even begun to talk optimistically about getting his old job back . in july , he was planning to travel on a research vessel up the rio negro , the amazon ' s main tributary , with a group of biology students from the united states , his first such trip in years .

van roosmalen buzzed open the compound gate , he told me recently . moments later , he said , five heavily armed federal police officers burst into the garden , bearing a warrant for his arrest . then , as his 27 - year - old brazilian girlfriend , vivi , looked on in horror , van roosmalen says , police cuffed his hands behind his back and placed him in the back seat of a black mitsubishi pajero . van roosmalen asked where they were heading . it was only then , he says , that he learned that he had just been found guilty , in a criminal procedure conducted in his absence , of crimes ranging from keeping rare animals without a permit to illegal trafficking in brazil ' s national patrimony , to the theft of government property . the sentence : 14 years and 3 months in prison .