Introducing the Iconic Amazonian Manatee!
Greetings to you! Here’s some awesome facts about the iconic Amazonian Manatee. This manatee is unique to the Sirenian species because it’s the only one that lives exclusively in freshwater environments! And these environments are found in the Amazon basin of South America.
And of all Sirenians, the Amazonian Manatee is the smallest and darkest. An adult can measure 9.8 feet in length and weigh around 992 pounds. These manatees are also a rather dark gray with a “whitish or pinkest spot on the ventral area, which is distinctive for each one.” And when compared to the West Indian Manatee which has nails on its flippers, the Amazonian Manatee has none.
“In the Amazon, manatees are the only aquatic mammals exclusively herbivorous. Due to the exuberant richness of the basin, its diet is significantly diverse compared to other manatees. Amazonian manatees consume more than twenty species of plants, including semiaquatic grasses, flowers, stems, fruits, seeds, and leaves of a wide variety of floating, shrubby and arboreal plants.”
“A manatee can consume a daily quantity of vegetation up to 10% of its body weight. Thus, a 300-kilogram (661 lbs.) manatee should eat 30 kilograms (66 lbs.) of macrophytes daily! That is a lot of food.”
“With this diet, manatees are believed to control the expansion of floating vegetation and return nutrients to the environment through feces and urine. Because the type of vegetation consumed is above the surface, it has been suggested that its jaw has a much lower degree of inclination than bottom-feeding manatees, such as the Florida or the [Antillean] manatee.”
Scientists are still learning about the Amazonian Manatee and its role in the ecosystem however, their presence in the Amazon Basin proves to indicate an excellent habitat quality.
“It is almost impossible to spot an Amazonian manatee in the often-murky waters of the Amazon and its tributaries. Due to their coloration, elusive and solitary behavior, and low population densities, encounters with these creatures in their natural environment are a privilege for few.”
Below is an image showing where the Amazonian Manatee is located in South America …
Here’s an Awesome Tool Teaching Kids about Manatees!
Read the award-winning title, Kobee Manatee® Heading Home to Florida. It’s all about manatees, their habitat and their behavior.
When you read this award-winning educational picture book to children, you’ll discover it’s a fun and fictional adventure loaded with weaved in facts on the extraordinary manatee. Here’s a brief synopsis …
Packed with exciting illustrations and interesting facts, this adventure story will enchant as it creates awareness for the endangered Florida manatee. In late September, Kobee Manatee® is on a twelve-hundred-mile mission to get back home to Florida from Cape Cod, Massachusetts before the impending cold threatens his life. On his journey, he meets two new friends: Tess the seahorse, who loves to learn, and Pablo the hermit crab, who is in search for a new shell. Will Kobee and his friends make it to Florida in time?
Each page includes in-depth, fun facts on manatees with Dr. Katie Tripp, from Jimmy Buffett’s Save the Manatee Club.
We have Fantastic Reviews with this Title!
“A swimmingly fun, educational trip sure to be enjoyed by young friends of the manatee.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This luxuriously illustrated, infectiously charming story makes us want to save the manatee and have a plush version to hug.” – ForeWord Clarion Reviews
“Kobee Manatee: Heading Home to Florida is a recipient of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award. The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) evaluates products and services created for parents and educators and is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. Using a rigorous evaluation process, entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost. Around the world, parents, educators, retailers and members of the media trust the MCA Honoring Excellence seal when selecting quality products and services for families and children.” – Mom’s Choice Awards
If you see any sick or injured manatees, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at: 1-888-404-3922 (FWCC). They are the folks who are responsible for rescuing us in Florida.
Here’s the Save the Manatee Club link to learn more about manatees …
Here’s a cool link for you to learn more about how manatees are rescued and brought into rehabilitation …
~ Robert Scott Thayer
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