Manatee

A manatee is a large, herbivorous marine mammal that is native to the coasts of the Americas and Africa. They are also known as "sea cows" due to their slow-moving, placid nature and their diet of aquatic plants. 🌿

Manatees have a large, gray, and torpedo-shaped body with a rounded, paddle-like tail. Their front flippers are used for steering and moving along the seabed. They have a wrinkly snout with short, sensitive whiskers, and a split upper lip that they use to grasp food. They can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds.

Manatees are found in coastal waters, rivers, and estuaries. They prefer warm, shallow waters and are unable to tolerate temperatures below 68°F (20°C). They are herbivores that graze on a variety of submerged and floating plants, including seagrass and algae. A manatee can eat up to 10% of its body weight in plants each day.

Manatees are generally solitary or found in small groups. They are slow-moving and spend most of their time either grazing or resting. They are a vulnerable species, with their populations threatened by human activity, particularly collisions with boats and habitat loss.