XManatee photo © Robyn Churchill

A. A manatee does not sweat. Instead, to regulate body temperature, a manatee can increase or decrease blood flow to its extremities, depending on if it is hot or cold. When a manatee increases blood flow to its extremities, heat loss is amplified by the underwater environment, which transfers heat 25 times faster than air. To conserve heat, a manatee can reduce blood flow to its extremities, and it also has thickened skin and fat layers to help reduce passive heat loss from its body into the water.

--Artie Wong, Staff Biologist, Save the Manatee Club

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