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Manatees (sometimes called sea cows) are large aquatic mammals, weighing 1,000 to 2,200 lbs (500 to 1000 kg). They are herbivores, and spend most of their time grazing in the shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon basin, and West Africa. They spend half of their day sleeping in the water, regularly surfacing for air. Although manatees have no natural predators, all three species of manatees are listed as vulnerable to extinction. The major threats to manatees are humans and their trash. Manatees occasionally ingest fishing gear (hooks,...