Ahh - the gentle sea cow

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. They are so cute.

n/t

[terrya]

2. Did you know that, sadly, these creatures are endangered?

In the Florida Everglades?

But I think there's actually more of them than we thought.

[rocktivity]

3. I understand they have the same evolutionary relative as bears

or should that be creationist relative?

:headbang:
rocknation

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

5. I had heard that they are most closely related to elephants

[JHB]

9. I heard that too...

...on Pat Robertson's 700 Club no less!

(Hee hee hee, those sneaky evolutionists... :evilgrin: )

[Beware the Beast Man]

14. Interesting!

And the hippo's closest relative is the pig, so I've heard.

[underpants]

4. Candy is on vacation from CNN again?

:spank:

[terrya]

6. You don't need to go to CNN to find them. They're closer than you think.

:-)

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

7. don't feed them

[terrya]

8. Oh, I won't.

[Richardo]

10. Jim Gaffigan has a great bit about the sea cow...

(weird high pitched voice) "I'm a manatee."

[dean_dem]

18. "Yeah whatever, Sea Cow! Get a job!"

[Richardo]

19. "Talk to my hand!"

Love that bit.

[Dr.Phool]

11. I was watching one yesterday

Beautiful. The Anclote river runs behind the golf clubhouse where I drink. This time of year they come up to have puppies or whatever you call them.

[1monster]

12. Did you know that Columbus and his guy's mistook Manatees swimming

in the waters of Caribbean for Mermaids? Either those guys had been drinking too much grog, or they had been at sea for far too long! }(

[Divernan]

13. Florida real estate developers lobby against manatee protection.

The various state builders' lobbies are among the very top bribers of state legislatures. In Florida, they see manatees as interfering with the operation of jet skis, cigarette (very fast) and other power boats and yachts by people living on various canals and waterways. Many manatees have scars on their backs from having been hit by boats/propellers. And in a secondary way, Florida builders have encroached on vast amounts of Everglades and wetlands.

[XNASA]

15. Delicious.

I mean, um.....deliciously beautiful!!

[underpants]

16. So this poor man can't afford to feed his son on Christmas

He looks out the window and sees a California Condor. He figures "The kid will never know the difference" kills it and passes it off as Turkey.

Of course he is arrested and goes to trial. The judge is so sympathetic to his plight he lets the guy off but he has a question,

"What did it taste like?"

the man says

"Mmmm somewhere between Bald Eagle and baby seal"

[XNASA]

17. RIMSHOT!!

Yeah!

:pals:

[Caoimhe]

20. aquatic ape theory

If you have ever read about the Aquatic Ape theory of evolution (I suggest Elaine Morgan - The Aquatic Ape) , it is amazing to learn that manatees breast feed their babies with their two (fatty) breasts on their front chest. I think they are one of the few mammals that does that.

[WMliberal]

21. man they're cute, but I still don't get

How sailors mistook them for mermaids. There is just no amount of seclusion and beer goggles that could make me THAT horny.