September 2006                                                  The Megaphone                                                                Page 8

The Gentle Giants

by Deborah (Bozell) Donahue

  Florida is home to many unusual mammals and animals not common to people living in northern areas of the United States. The least favorite of all the species are the numerous snakes living in this state, but in reality, although they can be frightening when startled, only a few are of the deadly variety.

  The Florida alligator is another creature given much attention of late for its fatal attacks on humans while walking, jogging and swimming in areas they inhabit. The alligator is said to be harmless unless it is disturbed during its mating season, but for the residents of this state, we honestly try to give them a wide birth so we all can live in harmony among one another.

  While the Florida panthers and black bears roam our woods, so do the armadillos and opossums that frequent our backyards on a given night. We are blessed to have an array of lovely ground and coastal birds and if you’re really lucky, you might come upon a flamingo in flight or a battalion of pelicans guarding our coastline.

  The favorite of all the creatures who inhabit our state is the manatee or sea cow known to us as the Gentle Giant. 

  The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian Manatee. Closely related to the elephant, the manatee is Florida’s state marine mammal. Manatees are herbivorous, feasting daily on vegetation up to as much as 15% of their body weight, which includes very little fat. Averaging 10 feet long and 1,000 lbs, an adult manatee spends 6 to 8 hours eating, and the rest of the day resting or traveling.

  The mammal can hold its breath for up to 15 minutes while resting since its huge lungs exchange 98% of its contents in one breath. Manatees are grayish brown in color, oftentimes influenced by the growth of algae on their thick and wrinkled skin. Their bodies resemble the seal’s and their whiskered snoots look like the walrus without tusks.

  Manatees are generally solitary animals; however, when a female is ready to mate, several males will gather around her forming a mating herd. After mating, they resume their solitary lives. There is a strong bond between the cow and calves. After birth the calves will stay close to the mother and touching seems to be important to them. They nurse for nearly a year and stay with their mother for up to two years.

  Manatees thrive in warm water and anything below 68 °F, manatees stop eating, suffer cold stress and oftentimes die. They enjoy traveling to coastal areas, rivers, canals and estuaries in Florida and southern Georgia during the winter. During the summer, the manatees travel through freshwater, brackish and saltwater environments. They reach as far west as Louisiana and as far north as Maryland. Their favorite migration destination in Florida seems to be Crystal River and Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park.

  We Floridians invite you to come down and see for yourself just how lucky we are to have these Gentle Giants as neighbors which only proves to us that life in Florida is truly grand!!! 

Deborah (Bozell) Donahue '64

Ormond Beach, FL

Q = ?

1)  P + R = 4

2)  Q x P + R = 10

3)  P + Q x R = 14

                              Q = ?

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