| Nariva Swamp (Manatee) |
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| IPTC INFO | | Caption | WEST INDIAN MANATEE Trichechus manatus he West Indian Manatee has adapted fully to an aquatic life style having no hind limbs. Pelage cover is sparsely distributed across the body which many play a role in reducing the build-up of algae on the skin. The average West Indian Manatee is approximately 3 meters long and weighs between 400 and 600 kg with females generally larger than males. The largest individuals can weigh up to 1 500 kg. ___________ The West Indian Manatee is surprisingly agile in water and individuals have been seen doing rolls somersaults and even swimming upside-down. Manatees are not territorial and do not have complex predator avoidance behavior as they have evolved in areas without natural predators. The West Indian Mantee is an opportunistic feeder with large adults feasting on nearly 100 kg of sea grasses and plant leaves daily. Because manatees feed on abrasive plants their molars are often worn down and are continually replaced throughout life. They are also known to eat invertebrates and fish. ________ The West Indian Manatee has been hunted for hundreds of years for meat and hide and continues to be hunted to this day in Central and South America. Illegal poaching as well as collisions with speeding motorboats are a constant source of manatee fatalities. Due to their low reproductive rates a decline in manatee population may be hard to overcome. They enjoy protection from the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the U.S. Marine Mammal Act of 1972. ____________________ http://nc-es.fws.gov/mammal/manatee.html by the United States Federal Government | | Headline | The West Indian Manatee - an endangered species | | Copyright Notice | wiki/West_Indian_Manatee | | URL | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Indian_Manatee |
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10/11/2006 |
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