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Snooty’s 65th Birthday Bash July 20, 2013

Posted by nrhatch in Animals, Humor.
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Snooty’s turning 65 this year so the South Florida Museum threw a party for him today.  For the next hour, you can watch him on the Live Cam.

He received LOTS of cards.  And a very special cake.

A few FUN facts about Snooty:

1. Snooty is documented as the oldest manatee in captivity, and is likely the oldest manatee in the world!

7. Snooty’s body shape is different than that of other manatees because of his interest in people. He pulls the front part of his body up out of his pool to say “hi!”, which has earned him some particularly large shoulder muscles.

9. Snooty appeared on the popular children’s television show Captain Kangaroo in 1982 as part of a segment about manatees.

24. Manatee ancestors date back about 50 million years! The modern manatee has been swimming in coastal waters for about one million years.

25. Manatees have nostrils or “nose plugs” which close when they are under water to keep water from entering their lungs.

36. Snooty has a sweet tooth! His favorite treats are pineapples and strawberries… but he only gets those on his birthday for dietary reasons.

37. Manatees eat about 8-10% of their body weight each day! Snooty has slowed down a bit in his old age, however. He eats about 70 pounds of veggies every day which is around 7% of his body weight.

51. Manatees are sirenians. Different species of sirenians (including the Florida Manatee, Antillean Manatee, Amazonian Manatee, West African Manatee, and Dugong) are found around the world: North, Central, and South America, Africa, Southern Asia, and Australia.

58. Snooty is an official member of AARP.

65. Snooty was born on July 21, 1948 in an aquarium on the Prinz Valdemar, a Danish warship that capsized in the Miami Harbor!

For more FUN FACTS . . . click here!

Aah . . . that’s better!