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Manatee
Antillean
(Trichechus Manatus)
Distribution
The Antillean
manatee' habitat is in Puerto Rico, the coasts of other
Greater Antilles, countries of the Caribbean
and the Gulf of Mexico. It abounds in fresh or aquatic
brackish water vegetation near the mouth of the rivers,
in bays or coastal areas of calm waters in Puerto Rico.
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The
manatees an aquatic mammal of great size that can measure
up to twelve feet of length and grief near 3.500 pounds.
Its body is massive, without
hair and its skin she is heavy and almost it lasts. The front legs
have been modified in form of fins and the tail is squashed forming
a species of powerful fin to plunge itself. It does not have back legs
since its tail is more efficient to move under the water. Although
the manatee one passes all its life in the water,needs to breathe fresh
air reason why it must make frequent trips tothe surface of the water.
The female each two to five years can give birth to a little creature that
can weigh 66 pounds and measure 4 feet of length. The young depends totally
on its mother and remains with her at least two years. Only the female is in
charge to take care of the young, being given milk until their teeth well are
formed to eat hard foods. The manatee is the only marine mammal completely
herbivor. Its main food constitutes marine grass and aquatic plants that grow
little in deep places near the coast or in the rivers. The manatees take of
4 to 6 years in arriving to adulthood and apparently they can live up to 60
years.
Threats
There
is evidence that the contamination of waters, the increase
in the traffic of boats and "jets skis" is affecting
the manatees. The problem is that the conductors of boats sail without regarding
and at high speeds causing abrupt crashing with the manatees. Additional to
these problems, the fishing of manatees to use his meat, oil and fat contribute
to the possible extinction of the specie. In addition, there are cases of manatees
that are entangled in fishing networks which have been left without monitoring
for a long time. Many manatees die drowned in these networks or by infections
caused when cutting itself with them.
Measures
of Conservation
The Antillean
manatee was included in the federal list of species in danger
of extinction in the 1967. In order to reduce the causes
of deaths of manatees it is necessary to regulate the speed
of boats and "jet skis" so that the collisions
with these can be avoided. Also the agencies must take measures
to make sure that construction projects near the coast do
not affect them, as it happens with the erosion towards the
sea caused by the earthwork or the direct contamination of
waters with chemical agents. The erosion often causes that
the quality of cost near waters diminishes, affecting the
submarine vegetation on which the manatees are fed..
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