Magnificent Manatees (scientific name) Trichechus Manatus

1. Magnificent Manatees (scientific name) Trichechus Manatus By Jackson Hart

2. Appearance • Manatees are gray, soft, round, look rubbery, faces are round and wrinkly, front flippers are like small, blunt arms, and tails look like ping pong paddles. Manatees also have 3 to 4 claws like fingernails.

3. Lifespan-Endangered • Manatees are endangered because every year a lot of Manatees get hunted in the Amazon River and get run over by motor boats in Florida. They live from 1to 60 years old.

4. Habitat • Manatees live in the water in: The Atlantic Ocean, on both coasts of Florida, and the Amazon River. Some even live in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

5. Landforms • Manatees live in salt rivers, fresh water rivers, and salt water oceans.

6. Their Meal • Manatees are herbivores because they only eat grass. They use their big upper lip to rip the grass to eat. Their strong back teeth grind the plants.

7. Prey and Predator • Manatees do not eat animals because they are not carnivores. They have no predators either.

8. Behavior • Manatees are shy, and can be curious. They also gracefully graze around in the ocean and may form in groups of 12 or more.

9. Babies • Manatee babies are called calves. They give birth to one calf at a time. They are pregnant with a calf for a year before the Manatee mother gives birth.

10. What Helps Manatees Adapt • Manatees have bristles on their nose to help them find plants to eat. Their small eyes are covered with thin skin or membrane. On the top of their snouts, there are two nostrils. When they go in the water they shut tightly. But when they come up to breathe, they open.

11. Interesting Facts • 1. Did you know Manatees are related to Elephants? • 2. Did you know manatees are often called sea cows? • 3. Did you know that Manatees can weigh about 1,000 pounds?