1. By Frank Hoehle

2. Manatee, or The Sea Cow… Large Aquatic Herbivorous Marine Mammal Dead Sexy

3. General Specs Can grow up to 13 feet long Can weigh 1300lbs Babies born around 66lbs Thought to have been origin of the mermaid stories of seafaring men long ago. Obviously all that time at sea ruined their eyesight.

4. The Range of the Manatee T. Inunguis (red) found in Amazon Basin T. Senegalensis (orange) found in West Africa T. Manatus found in Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico

5. Life Facts: Live up to 60yrs. Sleep half day in water Spend rest of day grazing in 5ft of water Swim around 4mph with short bursts to 19mph Approximate intelligence of dolphins

6. Breeding and Gestation Breed once every two years Gestate for a year Bear 1 calf which takes a year to wean

7. Feeding The manatee lives for the most part on seaweeds which are pulled up by their large prehensile lips.

8. Predation Due to their large size, the manatee has no natural predators, however human habitat destruction, red tides, crab pots and fishing apparatus play a major role in their mortality. Due to their curiosity, they are often struck by fishing vessels and watercraft.