Wildlife
In Florida
The
West Indian Manatee
Manatee Photo Copyright 1998 Michael T. Bragg
- All Rights Reserved -
Used With Permission
The picture and the following was taken from
the Manatee web pages of Florida Power and Light
The West Indian manatee
or sea cow (Trichechus manatus) is a large, plant- eating aquatic mammal
that can be found in the shallow coastal waters, rivers, and springs
of Florida. These gentle creatures are endangered throughout their range.
High mortality, primarily associated with human activity, as well as a
low reproductive rate and loss of habitat continue to keep the number of
manatees low and threaten the species' future.
In response to an increased awareness of the
plight of the manatee, governmental agencies, universities, private conservation
groups and concerned corporations have joined together to promote research
and identify the actions needed to encourage the recovery of manatee populations.
This work has increased our knowledge of this species as well as raised
many questions that remain unanswered. The following presents a review
of the current knowledge concerning the biology, life history and status
of the manatee in Florida.
For
More Manatee Photos, Click Below
Florida
Power and Light's Manatee Booklet
The
Save the Manatee Club
A
listing of Places To See Manatees
Manatee:
Gentle Beasts of the Deep--
Website
by photographer Michael T. Bragg(see photos above)
The
Manatee Halfway House
Manatee
Junction
These pages created and maintained
by Lea Burnside, all rights reserved. Photos are copyrighted as noted.
When possible, permission to use photos was obtained from copyright holder.
For more info on this site, email Lea
Burnside.
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