Manatee

Manatees (Family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large aquatic mammals sometimes known as sea cows. The Trichechidae differ from the Dugongidae in the shape of the skull and the shape of the tail. Manatee's tails are paddle-shaped, while the Dugong's is forked.

Manatees inhabit shallow, marshy coastal areas of North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean Sea.

It is an herbivore, spending most of its time grazing in shallow waters.

One species (Trichechus senegalensis) inhabits the west coast of Africa, another (T. inunguis) inhabits the east coast of South America, and a third (T. manatus) the West Indies. The Florida Manatee is by some considered a distinct species, but ITIS treats it as a subspecies of T. manatus, and this is now usual. It can reach 4.5 meters (15 feet) or more in length, and lives both in fresh and salt water. It was once hunted for its oil and flesh but is now legally protected.

The West Indian Manatee is an endangered species. Although it does not have any natural predators, human expansion has reduced its natural habitat in the coastal marsh areas, and many manatees are injured by the propellers of outboard motor boats. Manatees will often ingest fishing gear(hooks, metal weights, etc.) during feeding. These foreign materials do not seem to harm manatees, except for monofilament line or string. This can get clogged in the animal's digestive system, and slowly kill the animal.

Manatees often congrigate near powerplants, which warm the waters. They have become reliant on this source of unnatural heat. They have ceased migrating to warmer waters because of this constant source of warm water. Recently, powerplants have been closing and knowing how reliant manatees are on these powerplants, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to find a way to heat the water for the manatees.

Indigenous people of Central America made a preparation of dried manatee meat, which they called buccan. This meat became so popular among Spanish and Portuguese sailors along the Central American coast that they came to be called in slang buccaneers.

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