THE MANATEE
The manatee was mistaken for mermaids by sailors when sailing was the only way of travel. When the sailors saw these creatures, they saw the fin. Really, the manatees are somewhat related to cow and elephants.On average, a manatee can grow 9 to 10 feet long. They also can weigh a whopping 1,000 pounds. The largest they can grow is 13 feet and weigh 3,000 pounds.
Manatees are vegetarians, which means they eat plants.They eat 100-150 pounds per day!!!Thats 10-15% of their body weight! Because manatees eat plants,they are gentle to humans. In fact, certain places let you swim with these gentle giants. Back to facts. Manatees can be found where sea grass beds are found.The manatee is on the endangered list because careless boaters hit these defenseless creatures.
