Life as a Sea Cow
Learn some curious facts about the majestic manatee. Hosted by: Hank Green ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: ...
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This is a manatee -- also sometimes called a sea cow. At first glance, you might think the three species of manatee, along with the closely related dugong, are related to seals or walruses. But their closest living relatives are actually elephants and small, stocky hyraxes. Some species even have fingernails on their flippers, old souvenirs from their ancient days on land. They live in shallow coastal waters and rivers in tropical areas, and some historians think that some of the old mermaid legends came from really, really lonely sailors mistaking potatoey gray manatees for fish-tailed hot girls. But even though they aren’t quite mermaids, manatees do have a special set of adaptations that help them get through life. Because it turns out that it isn’t always easy being a sea cow. For one thing, they hav...
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This is a manatee -- also sometimes called a sea cow. At first glance, you might think the three species of manatee, along with the closely related dugong, are related to seals or walruses. But their closest living relatives are actually elephants and small, stocky hyraxes. Some species even have fingernails on their flippers, old souvenirs from their ancient days on land. They live in shallow coastal waters and rivers in tropical areas, and some historians think that some of the old mermaid legends came from really, really lonely sailors mistaking potatoey gray manatees for fish-tailed hot girls. But even though they aren’t quite mermaids, manatees do have a special set of adaptations that help them get through life. Because it turns out that it isn’t always easy being a sea cow. For one thing, they hav...
