#happy november
November: Manatee Awareness Month
The manatee, also known as the sea cow, inhibits marshy, shallow regions on the coast of tropical areas. They are mainly found in the Caribbean sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon Basin, and West Africa.
Manatees are herbivores and eat freshwater plants. They use their back flipper to dig for plants, and then scoop the plants into their mouth. The manatee will eat 10-15% of it’s body weight a day. They weigh about 800-1,200 lbs.(400-550 kg.) and spend about 7 hours of their day grazing for food.
Manatees are usually found alone as they are very independent. Unless with their calf or mating. They usually mate every 2 years and live, on average, 40 years in the wild.
The manatee is threatened and vulnerable to extinction. This is mostly due to human causes. Their biggest threat is habitat destruction. Poaching is also a big concern as they are hunted for their hide and bones.
- To see what you can do to save the manatees, click here.
- To donate to manatee conservation and show your love for them, purchase a $5.00 bracelet here.
- To support manatee conservation and adopt a manatee, click here.
Photo by: U.S. Geological Survey via Flickr
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