Question 1: Where is Three Sisters Springs?
- Florida
- Georgia
- Alabama
Correct Answer: Florida
Fact: This manatee mom and baby are hanging out in Three Sisters Springs, a natural freshwater spring system in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge on the west coast of the Florida Peninsula. The refuge protects critical habitat for the hundreds of manatees that migrate here each winter.
Question 2: What kind of water do Florida manatees spend most of their time in?
- Sea
- Brackish
- Fresh
Correct Answer: Brackish
Fact: Florida manatees maintain the salt concentrations in their bodies by living in estuaries where freshwater rivers flow into the sea. The manatees move back and forth in water with varying salinity, which ensures that their kidneys don't get overwhelmed.
Question 3: Manatees and dugongs are the closest living relative of which animal?
- Hippopotamus
- Rhinoceros
- Elephant
Correct Answer: Elephant
Fact: Manatees and dugongs both belong to the order Sirenia, which is thought to have evolved from four-legged animals around 60 million years ago. While they are often called 'sea cows,' their closest land-dwelling relatives are elephants, part of the order Proboscidea.