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When a calf is born, it usually weighs 60–70 lb (27–32 kg) and is 4.0–4.5 ft (1.2–1.4 m) long. Manatees do not form permanent pair bonds, and the male contributes no parental care to the calf, which remains with the mother for up to two years prior to weaning. Female manatees have two axillary mammary glands located under their flippers.
They measure up to 4.0 metres (13 ft 1 in) long, weigh as much as 590 kilograms (1,300 lb), [2] and have paddle-like tails. Manatees are herbivores and eat over 60 different freshwater and saltwater plants. Manatees inhabit the shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon basin, and West Africa.
Manatees are calm herbivores that spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and traveling. They have a lifespan of about 60 years [1] with no known natural enemies. Some of their deaths are the result of human activity. In the past, manatees were exploited for their meat, fat, and hides. [2]
African manatees are typically extremely slow, moving between 4.8 km and 8.0 km (3 and 5 mi) per hour, although when scared by predators they can travel at speeds of about 32 km (20 mi) per hour. The African manatee's large forelimbs, or flippers, are used to paddle and to bring food to its mouth.
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Manatees — sometimes called sea cows — average about 1,200 pounds and 10 feet long. The species plays an important role in helping to maintain sea grass levels but have come under threat ...
Between 1935 and 1954, over 140,000 manatees are estimated to have been killed. Despite the laws in place against hunting, hunting continues to occur even in protected areas. Traditional harpoons are the most common weapon used against the manatees, but in Ecuador they are also known to be caught in Arapaima fish traps. [2]
For manatees, there’s no room for politics in their fight for survival. But sadly, they have been used as a political football for decades, including when they were delisted as an endangered ...