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Meet the Endangered. Manatee. Researched and Presented by Mrs. Moureaux. Manatees. Slow-moving aquatic Mammals that evolved from four-footed animals over 60.000,000 years ago May be over 13ft long and weigh 3,500 lbs Grey-brown color Two flippers and paddle-shaped tail
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Meet the Endangered Manatee Researched and Presented by Mrs. Moureaux
Manatees • Slow-moving aquatic Mammals that evolved from four-footed animals over 60.000,000 years ago • May be over 13ft long and weigh 3,500 lbs • Grey-brown color • Two flippers and paddle-shaped tail • Whiskers and flexible lips that grasp plants as they eat
What do Manatees Eat? • Manatees are vegetarians. They eat all kinds of aquatic plants but their favorite is the water hyacinth. • Manatees eat SO MANY plants… (100 pounds a day!) that they help to keep the waterways clear for boats
Where do Manatees Live? Manatees can live in both salt water and fresh water. In the summer when the ocean is warm they live mostly along the coastal waters of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and parts of the Caribbean Sea. In the winter they swim into the warmer water of the rivers and springs that empty into the ocean.
Some Really Cool Stuff About the Manatee • Manatees can hold their breath under water for 20 minutes! (but usually surface every 4 minutes or less to breathe) • Though manatees look a lot like seals or walruses they are most closely related to elephants! • Sailors long ago who saw manatees for the first time thought they were mermaids! • Manatee babies get milk from their moms from under her flippers!
Manatees are Threatened by… • Motorboat propellers • Polluted water • Fishing lines that trap them under water • Red Tides • Loss of habitat
What Can You Do to Help Save the Manatee? • Find out all you can about the manatee and share the knowledge with others • Join a conservation group that is working to protect manatees • Join a clean up campaign in your area to keep our waterways clean • Find out about laws to protect the manatee. Write to lawmakers and ask them to do more.
Let’s Work So It’s Not The End Of the Manatee