Pollution in our Oceans by Jennifer Wentlandt

The manatee is a marine animal. A manatee can also be referred to as a sea cow. A manatee is not related to a cow but is more related to an elephant. They call it a sea cow because it acts like a cow. They graze on seagrass and they are chubby animal like a cow. But does it look like a cow?

They do look like cows. They are cute chubby creatures can weigh 400-1300 and can be as tall as 8-13 ft. They have flat oval noses. They have an oval shaped body and flat flippers. With these big bodies and strong tails they can swim 5-15 miles per hour. They can last 15 minutes without coming up for air. Manatees are seen alone or in a small group. When they are in a group they are called aggregation. Now how are these sea cows born.

A bull (male manatee) has nothing to do with the calves. (Calves is what you call a baby manatee). A cow (female manatee) is pregnant for 12 months. The calf is born under water but the mother has to help it to the surface. Within the first hour the calf can swim on its own. The baby manatee will stay with its mom for the first two years of its life. In those two years the mom shows the calf all of the routes when migrating. Manatees can live up to forty years! Where do these animals live?

These animals live all over the place. There are three species of manatees. One of them is the West Indian manatee. This manatee lives on the southern and eastern cost of the United States but some have reached the Bahamas. The next specie of manatee is Amazonian manatee. This manatee lives in the amazons river drainage. Last but not least is the African manatee. This sea cow lives in the African rivers and the western part the African coast. But let's focus on the West Indian manatee.

Like all manatees these sea cows don't like cold water. When we are in are colder months they find warm springs or power plants to keep them warm. When it's warm outside you can find them in salt water or in fresh water. You can see a lot them on the coast of Florida when it's warm. How do these manatees get so chubby?

These sea cows are herbivores. They eat algae and sixty plus sea grasses. While in freshwater they eat freshwater grasses. They can weigh up to 440-1300 pounds. Manatees can eat one hundred and thirty pounds in twenty-four hours. That explains why the are so chubby.

Manatees are endangered. They get killed by poachers, motorboats, and can get caught in fishing nets. When it's warm and they are swimming they get hit by lots of motorboats. There’s

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