Manatees are huge animals that live in the sea and feed on underwater vegetation. Their weight is up to 600 kg, and in length they can reach 5 meters. Most likely, the ancestors of manatees lived on land, but after that they decided to change their place of residence and moved to the water element. Initially, there were more than 20 species, but only three are known to man: Steller's cows, manatees and dugongs. The first ones, unfortunately, are no longer there, since man has completely exterminated this species.
What is a sea cow, people discovered for themselves in the 17th century and immediately began to exterminate them mercilessly. The meat of these animals is very tasty, the fat is soft and tender, which is especially good for making ointments, and the skin of sea cows was also used. Now manatees are declared an endangered species, and it is forbidden to hunt them. But still, sea cows suffer from human activities. They continually swallow nets and hooks, which slowly kill them. Pollution of ocean waters and construction of dams cause great harm to their he alth.
Due to the heavy weight of the enemies, the manatees do not have that many. In the sea they are threatened by tiger sharks, and in tropical rivers by caimans. Despite their phlegmatic nature and slowness, they still manage to avoidcertain death, so the main enemy of sea cows is man. You cannot catch them, but a large number of animals die under the propellers of ships, so many countries are developing programs to save manatees.
The sea cow prefers to live in shallow water, the optimal depth for it is 2-3 meters. Every day, manatees eat about 20% of their food by weight, so they are specially bred in places where excessive vegetation spoils water quality. They feed mainly in the early morning or evening, and rest during the day, swim to the shore to bask in the sun.
There are three types of manatees: African, Amazonian and American. The African sea cow, as befits all Africans, is a little darker than its relatives. She lives in warm equatorial rivers and on the West African coast. The Amazonian manatee lives only in fresh water, so its skin is smooth and even, and there is a white or pink patch on its chest and in some cases on its belly. The American sea cow prefers the Atlantic coast, especially the Caribbean Sea. She can swim in both s alt and fresh water. American manatees are the largest.
Manatees are very interesting to watch, their tail looks like an oar, and their front paws with claws resemble flippers. They use them very skillfully, they can walk along the bottom, scratch, hold and stuff food into their mouths. Search for food, bask in the sun, play with othersrepresentatives of the species - that's all the care that the sea cow has taken on. The manatee mostly lives alone, only during the mating season the female is surrounded by about two dozen boyfriends.
The cub is born for about a year, at birth its weight is about 30 kg, and the length is slightly more than a meter. He lives with his mother for about two years, she shows him her usual places to search for food. Then the lamante grows up and becomes independent. It is believed that their bond is inseparable and maintained throughout life.
