|
Manatees typically live in warm, shallow coastal estuaries.
They can also be found living in slow-moving rivers, canals, saltwater bays, and other coastal areas. Manatees are found in
tropical climates and cannot survive in water less than 60 degrees. In the colder winter months, being migratory species,
manatees may rely on warm- spring fed rivers for their source of warm water. (1) The manatee is most abundant in tropical
climates such as the southern coastline of the United States, Central America, and along the Northern coast of South America.
Manatees are gentle, slow moving mammals. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and traveling
(My ideal being). Being herbivores, manatees only eat aquatic plants. A manatee can eat up to 20% of their total body weight
in one day! Favorite foods consists of manatee/turtle grass, mangrove leaves, water hyacinths, and various species of algae.
(2) Because of this, they spend most of their time searching for food on either the ocean floor or on the surface of the water.
(1)
When resting, they rest either submerged at the bottom or just below the
surface coming up every three to five minutes to breathe. When active, they may come to the surface every thirty seconds to
breathe. Manatees although very slow, have been recorded traveling forty to fifty miles a day! (2)
Currently, there isn't any reliable research that says how old manatees live to be. It is believed
that manatees can live to be 60 years or older. Another belief is that most manatee deaths are human related. Most human-related
manatee deaths occur when colliding with a watercraft. Manatees also die from canal locks, ingestion of fish hooks or litter,
and becoming entangled in underwater nets. Today, the manatee is on the endangered species list.
Because they are endangered, activists are working to protect this big, fat, lazy species. Manatees in the United
States are protected under federal law by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
These acts prohibit the harassing, hunting, capturing, and killing of any manatee. (2) Violators can face up to 60 days in
jail and or up to a $50,000.00 fine. (1)
|
 |
|
