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Endangered Animals - Manatees

Endangered Animals--Manatees Even though manatees are sea mammals like seals, dolphins, and whales, they are possibly more closely related to elephants. They belong to a group of mammals called Sirenia named after the sea nymphs in ancient Greek myths.

Sample these internet sites and complete the activities for each one to learn about the factors that are endangering the existence of these gentle giants.

Save Our Species - Florida Manatee
http://www.epa.gov/espp/poster/manatee.htm

  1. How are manatees often injured?

Manatee Junction - Manatee Anatomy
http://manateejunction.org/

  1. Describe what a manatee looks like.
  2. The food that manatees eat is hard on their teeth. What happens what a tooth wears out?

Manatee Junction - Vitals & Statistics
http://manateejunction.org/mj06_7.htm

  1. What type of food does a manatee eat?
  2. How long can a manatee live?
  3. About how fast can manatees swim?
  4. What other animals are manatees somewhat related to?
  5. If animals had personalities like people, what do you think the personality of a manatee would be like?
  6. When confronted with danger, what do most manatees do?
  7. How many calves do female manatees usually have at one time?
  8. What are the possible predators of manatees?

Manatee Junction - Range
http://manateejunction.org/mj06_14.htm

  1. In what areas of the world do Florida manatees live?
  2. In what areas of the world do Antilliean manatees live?
  3. In what areas of the world do Amazonian manatees live?
  4. In what areas of the world do West African manatees live?

West Indian Manatee
http://www.savethemanatee.org/manfcts.htm

  1. Manatees are related to and similar to Steller's sea cows. What happened to Steller's sea cows?
  2. Do manatees prefer shallow or deep water?
  3. Manatees are migratory. Where can West Indian manatees be found in the winter? Where are they in the summer?
  4. Manatees are constantly grazing. About what percentage of their body weight do manatees consume each day in vegetation? So if a manatee weighs 1000 pounds, about how many pounds of aquatic plants does it eat each day?
  5. About how often do manatees come to the surface of the water to breathe?
  6. List the causes of manatee mortality (why they die) other than natural death.
  7. According to this site, what is the greatest threat to manatees today?
  8. The reproductive rate for manatees is slow which further contributes to their endangerment. About how often is a calf born to a female manatee? How long is the gestation period? About how long is a calf dependent on its mother?
  9. Can you capture a manatee and build a big pond in your backyard and put the manatee in it and take really good care of it? Why or why not? What would happen to someone who killed a manatee of even harassed or disturbed one?
  10. What is Florida's governor doing in some Florida counties to help reduce manatee mortality?

Manatee FAQ
http://www.savethemanatee.org/faq.htm

  1. How do manatees communicate with each other?
  2. What part of a manatee's body is its peduncle?
  3. What is the record weight of a manatee?
  4. How do researchers frequently tell one manatee from another?
  5. What is a skeg mark?
  6. Most whales travel back and forth between warm, tropic waters and very cold arctic water. Why can't manatees tolerate very cold water?
  7. To what area of the world do many manatees migrate in the winter? Where can they generally be found throughout the summer?
  8. About how fast do manatees swim?
  9. What is the depth of water that manatees generally prefer?
  10. Manatees can stay submerged for up to 20 minutes. What kind of adaptations do manatees have that enable them to stay under water for long periods of time?
  11. How much air do humans renew in their lungs in a single breath? How much air do manatees renew in their lungs in a single breath?
  12. Manatees are herbivores. What are some specific types of plant material that they eat?
  13. What is the role of manatees in an aquatic food chain?
  14. How big are manatee calves when they are born? How long are they dependent on their mothers?
  15. What is a synoptic survey?

Manatee Junction - Mortality
http://www.manateejunction.org/mj06_18.htm

  1. In 1995, how many manatees died because of water craft (boats)? How many many died for this reason in 1996?

Florida West Indian Manatees
http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_manatee.htm

  1. This site cites overexplotation as a cause of manatee endangerment. Explain what this is.
  2. According to this site, how many manatees were killed in 1990 from power boats? What percentage of the total manatee population was this considered to be?
  3. Describe how coastal development has impacted manatees.

Teacher Resources

Manatee Online Image Archive
http://www.homesafe.com/manatee/photographs/index.html
Five pages of great manatee photographs.

Image is copyrighted by ArtToday. Used by permission. All rights reserved

Author: LINDA MOSBACKER - Email linda.mosbacker@slc.k12.ut.us