MANATEES An Endangered Mammal By Ethan Grade 5 Winter 2014
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction----------------------------------5 Names-------------------------------------------5 LifeCycle---------------------------------------6 Description-----------------------------------6 Threats------------------------------------------7 Solutions----------------------------------------7
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Introduction A gray shape glides several inches below the surface of the cloudy water. Then a snout appears. After a second, it dips below the water. A wake moves away from the side of the boat and it is gone. http://i.images.cdn.fotopedia.com/flickr-4088841570hd/Museums_of_the_world/Museums_with_major_collections_in_ethnography_and_anthropology/American_Museum_of_Natural_History/MANATEE_FUG_YEAH.jpg
Names Manatees go by several names and sea cow is one name that is more common then others. Trichechus manatus latirostris is the latin name.
Life cycle Due to the manatee's slow reproductive rate of only one calf per year, they can not keep their population sustained. Manatees may only have 1 calf a year but, babies are born year round. Babies are able to feed themselves after one year. they reach sexual maturity in about five years. Their life span is about 40-50 in the wild. Do they have a mating season? No. A cow (female manatee) in estrus is often followed by about a dozen bulls (male manatees). Manatees are not monogamous. Cows bond temporarily with bulls .Gestation (pregnancy) is about 1 year.
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cute manatee baby
Description Manatees can be blue-gray, blue, or tan and are usually covered in algae. Having algae on your back if you are a manatee is actually useful. It works like sunscreen. Having a flexible snout and upper lip is useful for grazing on succulent sea grasses. Wondering any more about the name sea cows? It's amazing how giant manatees are so graceful considering to their size.
Threats Manatees are an endangered species that need a little help due to loss of habitat, collisions with boats, and slow reproductive rates. People are crowding in on manatee's space. People destroy springs and build power plants. In cold weather, manatees need to seek heat from either natural springs or discharge http://library.thinkquest.org/J002462/momandby.jpg from power plants. They can die from lack of A mother manatee and her baby heat. The warm discharge from power plants is of adequate temperature, however if the power plants shut down, more manatees die. The ones that survive , search for more heat and the cycle starts all over again. Boats are knocking into manatees, their propellers cut deep wounds in the innocent manatees that get too close to boats. Sometimes boats cut off the poor things tail. http://www.defenders.org/sites/default/files/manatee-range-map.jpg
Florida manatee Range
Solutions People are trying to save manatees by making signs to slow down boaters and contacting power-plant companies.
CONCLUSION I think manatees still have hope. But everyone has to do their part. We need to be more conscious about boating, manatee habitats and heat sources. Incidents with boats are so common that manatees are identified by their scars.
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