diet of a manatee
Manatees are herbivores or animals that eat only plants. Manatees eat mostly "sea grasses and freshwater vegetation." Manatees also eat "floating hyacinth, pickerelweed, alligator weed, water lettuce, hydrilla, water celery, musk grass, shoal grass, manatee grass, turtle grass, widgeon grass, sea clover, and marine algae."
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Population of manatees
Today there are about 5,000 manatees.
Manatee habitat
Manatees are found in warm water like "shallow rivers, bays, estuaries, and coastal waters." Estuaries are the ends of rivers that touch the sea.
Reproduction
Manatees calves weigh "60 to 70 pounds" when they are born. They are "3 to 4 feet long." The calves "nurse underwater." The gestation period of a manatee is "about 1 year" and manatees will have "1 calf" at a time.
Behavior
Manatees move very slowly. Manatees can "body surf or barrel roll when" they play. To "communicate" manatees "squeal under water." This lets other manatees know if they are scared, stressed, or excited.