Manatee+2010

By: Nate M.

Manatees are large, fully aquctic, mostly herivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. Manatees have a weight of 880 to 1200 and are 9 ½ feet long. Manatees typically breed once every two years. Only a singel calf is born at a time. They enjoy warmer waters, their natural source for warmth during winter is warm-spring fed rivers in florida. Prolonged exposure to water temperaturs below 68 degrees can bring about ‘cold stress syndrome’ and DEATH. They emit a wide range of range of sounds used in communication, especially between cows and their own calves. Adults communicate to maintain contact and during sexual and play behaviors. Manatees are herbivors and eats over 60 different plant species, an adult manatee will commonly eat up to 10% of its body weight per day. Florida manatee deaths caused by humans have increased through the years, and now typically accounts for 20%-40% of record deaths.”Hurricanes, cold stress, red tide poisoning threather manatees but by far the graetest danger is from watercraft strikes which acount for about ½ of florida manatees deaths.” We can make the habitat of the manatee a no boat zone, and put sings up were they live at!!