Fort Myers in Lee County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Manatee-Human Comparison
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, October 16, 2015
1. The Manatee-Human Comparison Marker
Though a manatees appearance is far from what you might see in your bathroom mirror, humans and manatee are more closely related than you might think.
Breathe Air
Manatees have lungs just like humans. When active, they surface every three to five minutes to breathe. When resting, manatee can hold their breath up to 20 minutes at a time.
Mammals
Both manatee and humans are classified as mammals. Mammals are warm-blooded animals that have hair. Mammals give live birth and nourish their young with milk. Manatee calves can remain dependent on thier mothers for milk up to two years.
Bone Structure
A manatees flippers bones look very similar to the finger bones of a human. However, manatee bones are much heavier.
Hair
The hair of a manatee is distributed sparsely over its entire body. A manatee has little whisker-like hairs on their snout called vibrissae, which are extremely sensitive.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment.
Location. 26° 41.59′ N, 81° 46.656′ W. Marker is in Fort Myers, Florida,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Gulf Coast. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Explore Southwest Florida Naturally! (here, next to this marker); The Florida Manatee (here, next to this marker); Why do Manatees Come to Manatee Park ? (here, next to this marker); Other Visitors to Manatee Park (here, next to this marker); Freshwater Wetlands Habitat (here, next to this marker); The Anatomy of a Manatee (here, next to this marker); Manatee Island (here, next to this marker); Butterflies of Lee County (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Myers.
Additional commentary.
1. About the signage
This marker is entirely focused on natural history. It was included in HMdb when nature signage was still included. This is no longer the case.
— Submitted November 28, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 7, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 3,034 times since then and 120 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on August 7, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
