Manatees often live in shallow waters. Manatees habit in the Caribbean Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Amazon Basin, and in West Africa. Manatees are herbivores and eat about 60 different types of plants such as algaes. An adult manatee can eat normally up to 9% of his weight per day.
They look like a fat dolphin. Their body length ranges between 4 and 6 meters, and weight within 300 and 500 kg. Their body is gray with small pink spots. They have short and thick fins and whiskers on the snout.
This animal has been baptized as "the gentlest of creatures." The manatees are harmless, shy and lonely. The manatees often form small groups but they also like living alone. Their life is based on playing, swimming and looking for food.
The principal causes of endangerment of the manatees are related right away to humans. Humans had been destroying their habitat along many years for getting goods and also, natural changes cause there extinction like the temperature increase. Water pollution causes changes in climate that severely affect manatees as well. Man is their only predator who for years has hunted them for their meat and skin.
The destruction of their natural habit is a serious threat to manatees. Uncontrolled hunting is the biggest problem so we have to stop this matter.
Andrea Aleixandre
