| Manatees are large mammals which some
people call sea cows. A manatee grazes on water plants. It has a gray black
body. It has a thick body and a flattened, round tail. The forelimbs
are flippers set close to the head. No external hind limbs
exist. The head is small, with a straight snout and a cleft upper lip with
bristly hairs. Adults are about 8 to 15 ft long and weight 440 to 1,300
lb.
They live in small family groups and
sometimes in herds of 15 to 20. The Amazonian manatees live in the
Amazon River. The West Indian manatees are found in central Florida
and along the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts. The West African manatee
is found in tropical West African rivers.
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