Manatees
- Species
- Trichechus inunguis, Trichechus manatus, Trichechus senegalensis
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Length
- 9 ft 2 in to 9 ft 10 in (max. 15 ft)
- Weight
- 880 to 1,210 lb (max. 3,913 lb)
- Lifespan
- Up to 60 years
- Classification
- Mammalia > Sirenia > Trichechidae
- Conservation Status
- Vulnerable
- Habitat
- Shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers
- The manatee, sometimes called a "sea cow" is a sea mammal that has been under threat for a long time. Gentle and graceful, it lives in and around shallow seas and coastal waters, as well as in some rivers, such as as the Amazon River.
- Places
- North and South America, West Africa
- The manatee has even been connected to stories about mermaids.
- There are three surviving manatee species, with the Amazonian Manatee the only one to live in fresh water.
- Manatees need warmer water, and require a temperature of 68 °F to survive in. Though they can sometimes be in colder water, they cannot survive for long in it.
- Manatees are not hunted by many creatures, and the biggest concern to them is the effect of humans. When threatened, a manatee dives down deep into the ocean to escape.
- Certain algae can "bloom" causing a "red tide" that can harm and kill manatees, with one in 1996 causing 151 manatee deaths.
