Manatees, the gentle giants of Florida's lagoons and coastal habitats, bring a smile to almost every face that spies one. As manatees dip and roll through the water, crowds gather to watch them feed on their favorite food, aquatic vegetation. Sometimes congregating by the hundreds, other times at ease resting or feeding alone, these sea cows provide anyone interested in nature with hours of tranquil pleasure.
Having survived for eons, today's manatees are under constant threat because of our rapidly swelling human population. Their habitats are often devastated by development and pollution. The slow-moving manatees also live at the mercy of chance, for they occupy waters filled with fast-moving boats. For manatees, boat propellers are spinning razor blades, a new form of predator from which they have no protection. Boat speed limits have been put in place to protect manatees, but there is a constant push to lift them so that people can once again zip across manatee habitats. For this reason, manatees are often a subject of controversies that pit their lives against the rights of boat owners.
In this book, manatee expert John E. Reynolds and famed photographer Wayne Lynch join forces to reveal the clearest picture of manatees ever published. Florida Manatees is a song for the manatee, a celebration of the lives of these majestic creatures. Reynolds' concise, informative text reveals what is known about manatees while Lynch's beautiful photographs instantly demonstrate how special these ""potatoes with whiskers"" really are. By promoting an appreciation of manatees, the book hopes to ensure a future in which Floridians will continue to enjoy the sirenian inhabitants of the state.
Included in this book:· How manatees first came to Florida waters and how early human settlers regarded them· How manatees fit into the ecosystems of Florida· What and how much manatees eat· How manatees behave and communicate with one another· Why manatees look the way they do· Why manatees have whiskers· How manatee mothers feed their young and much more
1. From a Bluff on Guadeloupe 2. A Hodge-Podge of Adaptations 3. Evolution 4. The Stuff of Myths and Legends 5. Behavior and Ecology 6. Reproduction and Life History 7. Habitat Protection 8. Conservation Threats 9. Conservation Solutions Epilogue Selected References and Further Reading Index
""This book is an indispensable resource for anyone desiring a general overview of the species as well as a future reference on protection measures for the group. Easily digestible for nonspecialists, this book is an excellent way to gain an accurate and updated picture of the current status of a charismatic species, the Florida manatee.""
