海牛会口渴吗?

Manatees have long been misunderstood. Not only were they once mistaken for mermaids, but we're still learning about these gentle giants of the ocean.

海牛长期以来一直被误解。它们不仅曾经被误认为是美人鱼，而且我们还在了解这些温和的海洋巨人。

It's generally known that they can live in both saltwater or fresh water, but did you ever stop and wonder if manatees get thirsty?

众所周知，海牛既能生活在盐水中，也能生活在淡水中，但你有没有停下来想过海牛会不会口渴呢?

Turns out, they rely predominantly on fresh water to survive, but their kidneys can adapt when they only have the choice of drinking saltwater.

事实证明，它们主要依靠淡水生存，但当它们只有喝盐水的选择时，它们的肾脏能够适应。

Manatees' kidneys basically filter the excess salt for a period of time so they can drink and eat.

海牛的肾脏会在一段时间内过滤掉多余的盐分，这样它们就可以吃喝了。

We don't currently know exactly how long manatees can survive without fresh water, but generally they move back towards fresh water after a week or two of living in saltwater. In fact, when there isn't enough fresh water available, they have been known to seek out unusual sources of water like a drain from an ice house, putting them in close proximity to boats.

目前我们还不知道海牛在没有淡水的情况下能存活多久，但一般来说，它们在盐水中生活一两周后会回到淡水中。事实上，当没有足够的淡水可用时，它们就会寻找不寻常的水源，比如冰屋的排水管，这样它们就能靠近船只。

Manatees are also known as sea cows because of their soft, gentle movements. This is Mandilo the manatee at the Zoo Parc of Beauval. (Photo: GUILLAUME SOUVANT/AFP/Getty Images)

Keep in mind it's illegal to feed or disturb manatees in any way. As with any wild animal, if you happen to come across one in a Florida estuary, just enjoy it from afar.

记住，以任何方式喂食或骚扰海牛都是违法的。就像任何野生动物一样，如果你在佛罗里达的入海口碰巧遇到了一只，那就从远处欣赏吧。