Hi. My name is Holli Schneider. I'm a 6th grader at Ft. McCoy Middle School in Ft. McCoy Florida. I live in Florida with my mom and step-dad. My favorite sport is soccer. My favorite animal is a cheetah. Our school team is called the Ft. McCoy Cougars. My favorite class is band where I play the trumpet.
This was my first year playing soccer and playing trumpet. It has been fun so far, but the soccer season didn't last long enough.
My e-mail address is [email protected]. I like to get e-mail.
Below are pictures and information about another one of my favorite animals.
The Manatee.
This is a Manatee. They are also referred to as sea cows. They are an endangered species. I actually saw one and they are the most beautiful animals you have ever seen. Most of them have scars on them from boat propellers.
The West Indian Manatee is a large, gray-brown, water mammal. Adults have been known to exceed 13 feet in length and weigh over 3,500 pounds, but usually average around 10 feet and weigh between 800 and 1200 pounds. At birth, manatees are three to four feet long and weigh between 60 and 70 pounds.
The Manatees closest relative is the elephant and hyrax (a small furry animal that resembles a rodent). Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal.
Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas. Manatees are a migratory species. Within the United States, West Indian manatees are concentrated in Florida in the winter, but can be found in summer months as far west as Alabama and as far north as Virginia and the Carolinas.
Manatees are gentle and slow-moving. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and in travel. They eat water plants and can consume 10-15% of their body weight daily in vegetation. They graze for food along water bottoms and on the surface. They may rest submerged at the bottom or just below the surface, coming up to breathe on the average of every three to five minutes. When manatees are using a great deal of energy, they may surface to breath as often as every 30 seconds.
West Indian manatees have no natural enemies and it is believed they can live 60 years or more. Many manatee mortalities are human-related. Most occur from collisions with water craft. Other causes of human-related mortalities include being crushed and/or drowned in canal locks and flood control structures, ingestion of fish hooks, litter and monofilament line, entanglement in crab trap lines, and vandalism. The most serious threat, however, is the loss of habitat. There are approximately 2,600 West Indian manatees left in the United States.
West Indian manatees in the United States are protected under federal law by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which makes it illegal to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal. West Indian Manatees are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978 which states "It is unlawful for any person at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb any manatee." Anyone convicted of violating Florida's state law faces a possible maximum fine of $1,000 and or imprisonment for up to 60 days. Conviction on the federal level is punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 and/or one year in prison.
