That’s the link part, so let’s get into this animal. I’m sure anyone who has ever heard of a manatee now has an image in their mind. Chubby, grayish blue, wide tail, floating around, maybe some scars, and squinty-eyed face that looks rather serene. They may look like seals, but they’re not. They are their own creature with 3 definite species, 1 disputed species, and a close relative that I’m adding in.
Now, we tend to think of manatees being in Florida because that’s where those of us in America hear about them. Yet, they’re also found in Western Africa and around the Amazon River. Those are two other species. I couldn’t find populations on the others, but the West Indian/North American/Florida manatee was at 13,000. That isn’t a lot and they are endangered because of:
- Poaching for their meat, oils, and other body parts.
- Pollution such as getting tangled in fishing lines.
- Degradation of their environment caused by climate change.
- Getting hit by boats, which is why many have scars.
- Algae blooms such as red tide, which can poison them.
- The fact that they reproduce slowly with have maybe 1 calf every 2 years.
Oddly enough, manatees don’t have many predators and their reaction to a threat is dive deeper. This could mean that they never had to fear sharks and other water-based enemies, but land threats were a thing. Gee, I wonder which animal would teach them to dive to escape. Just look in a mirror because you know it’s humans. We strike again!
Let’s get to the pictures:
African Manatee
Amazonian Manatee
West Indian/North American/Florida Manatee
Those are the three main species. The following two are a disputed species, which looks very much like the Amazonian, and the fourth member of the Sirenia order.
Dwarf Manatee (Disputed)
Dugong (Related, but not a manatee)
Now for some videoes:
Oh!
Fun fact: Manatees regulate their buoyancy through farting.
Legends of Windemere 
Reblogged this on .
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Manatees have been on the endangered list for a long time. I do hope the preservation efforts are working. They are so ugly they’re cute!
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I think they have the same issue as pandas and rhinos. Very low birth rates, which means they can’t counter their death rate.
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
There’s a great fun fact at the end of Charles’ original blog post 😃
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Thanks. 😊
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My pleasure, Charles 😃
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Such cool creatures.
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Definitely. 😊
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Could’ve left out that last fun fact. 😆
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Maybe. Though, I do think it’s a funny tidbit to know. 🙂
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We are doing terrible things to our world and our fellow creatures. Humans are so short sighted and selfish. We only think about ourselves and today.
But we are in a relationship with everything on the planet. We aren’t apart from nature, but a part of it. Destroy the natural world and we destroy ourselves.
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I’m starting to think most people are just focused on surviving in the world we created. Those who actively destroy seem to do so out of desperation, greed, and/or a sense of being beyond consequences. I was reading how individual people changing their habits actually means very little if corporations continue doing what they do to the environment. Kind of frustrating.
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If you want to save Manatee’s, get rid of humans.
The more of us…..the less of them.
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Here’s the question though. How do we choose which humans to get rid of? Do you mean to wipe our entire species out?
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of course not, all we need to do is just keeping doing what we are doing and Nature will naturally cull.
Haven’t you noticed……..the process has already begun.
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It actually seems like nature will wipe out everything including humans. That doesn’t seem like the best option for life.
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Yes,I agree. I was being species egocentric as it was the subject of my initial statement.
We have already wiped out many species/humans on purpose and accidentally.
Nature has built in biologic safety measures. These apply to all animals.
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My biggest issue is that the majority of humans are just trying to survive. It’s corporations, governments, and various members of the upper classes that do most of the damage. An environmental upheaval is more likely to take the rest of us out first than the actual perpetrators.
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it’s a common story through out human history.
In by gone years ,the rich could afford to buy real estate up on the hills but the poorer
people could not.
So when a flood came, the poorer people suffered while the richer people looked on.
But don’t worry,Nature will affect/infect the rich equally so.
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So sad.
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Yeah. I hope breeding programs can help.
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Who doesn’t love this adorable animal? Yes, save the manatee!
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Surprisingly I have met a few who don’t like them. I’ve made it a point to avoid them afterwards.
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That’s very interesting!
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you as well for always best information and entertainment, Charles! Enjoy a nice weekend! xx Michael
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Enjoy your weekend too.
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Thanks for the very interesting information. Maybe the farting engine is what future generations will use for discovering the space, the so called “proton propulson”. Lol Thanks Charles, and enjoy a beautiful weekend! xx Michael
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You’re welcome. Fart propulsion might be a possibility. Uses up all that methane.
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Lol – We should give the MIT a tip. xx Michael
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Pingback: *Press This* The Huggable Manatee #233 | Its good to be crazy Sometimes
Wonderful post. I joined a marine science class and just learned about Sirenia. Love them.
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That’s awesome. Must be a fun class.
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It is!
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