Animals Unite !

Manatee

photo courtesy of Corel Graphics (2000)

Were manatees really what sailors of long ago thought were mermaids? Legend has it that they may have been! These docile creatures are endangered now, and it is important that we do all that can be done to help save them from going extinct.

Description:

The manatee, otherwise known as the West Indian manatee, (scientific name is Trichechus manatus latirostris ) has a large, gray/brown roundish body and a smaller head. The mouth has large flaps on the sides. They have flippers in front and a flat paddle shaped tail in back, but no hind legs. The tail is what moves the manatee through the water. The average adult is around 10 feet long and weighs about 1000 pounds. They are a lot like whales and dolphins because they have tiny hearing holes just behind their eyes that work very well under water. They have a little hair around the mouth and other places. The life expectancy of manatees is up to 60 years, however, most of the manatees found dead have been found to be between 0 and 10 years of age.

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Habitat:

Manatees are found in the Western Atlantic from Florida to Brazil. They are tropical and subtropical, so they like warmer waters. That is why Florida waters are so important to them. They forage for food like algae and grass. They can eat between 100 to 200 pounds of vegetation a day.
Their status is endangered. According to the Manatee Technical Advisory Council (MTAC) the data for Florida manatees shows a slight increase (in certain areas) in their numbers, but this is only 16 % of the known manatee population area. In April 2002 there will be a scientific workshop on Population Ecology and Management. Check the website of Save the Manatee (see below) for updates on this issue.

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Danger:

One of the problems for manatees in Florida waters has been collisions with motor boats. Other problems include people hunting them and getting hurt or killed by hazardous waste. Manatees are slow and docile, and often cannot get away in time when they hear the motor boats come by. They have a slow reproductive rate, with one calf being born to a female every two to five years. Also, the manatee cannot tolerate cold temperatures, so they need to be in warmer waters.

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Programs:

Save the Manatee Club works to raise awareness and funds to help save the manatee. It gives the public a way to become active partners in this conservation effort.
http://www.savethemanatee.org/
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a protected animal management program. See it at:
http://www.floridaconservation.org/psm/
Many waterways have signs marking and buoys where manatees are so that the boaters can slow down to avoid hurting them. There are "slow zones" and "idle speed" zones to help boaters know when to slow down.

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Resources:

Books:
* Dancing With Manatees by Faith McNulty
Scholastic Publishing, Inc., copyright 1994
* Eye on Nature by Celia Bland
Kidsbooks, Inc., copyright 1997
* Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species by Alexander Wright
Charlesbridge Publishing, copyright 1992
Websites:
* Manatees of Florida: http://www.xtalwind.net/~cfa/
* Save the Manatee Club: http://www.savethemanatee.org/
Graphics:
* Logo at top: Some of the animals (mountain lion, manatee, and grizzly bear came from Corel Web Graphics (1996) and Corel Draw Version 9 (2000). The leopard is from IUCN-World Conservation Union Website, ghost bat is copyright(c) Perth Zoo, Western Australia, ocelot is courtesy of Tom Smylie of United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Service, bald eagle (both in logo and at top ) courtesy of Pomegranate Calendars, "Spirit of America", Shaefer & Hill
* Side bar logo is from Power Point 2000.

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