It was issued as part of the USPS’s National Stamp Collecting Month and the theme was “Collect and Protect.” It was hoped that these stamps would catch the interest of children and encourage them to become stamp collectors. This month was co-sponsored by the USPS and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
The Florida manatee is a large, slow-moving mammal that lives in the warm waters of Florida and other parts of the southeastern United States. Manatees are often called "sea cows" because they graze on underwater plants, much like cows eat grass on land. They can grow to be about 10 to 13 feet long and weigh as much as 1,000 pounds or more. These gentle animals spend most of their time eating and swimming in shallow waters like rivers, bays, and coastal areas. Manatees have thick, wrinkled gray skin and a flat, paddle-shaped tail that helps them move through the water. They also have a very small number of teeth, which they replace throughout their lives as they wear them down from chewing plants. Manatees are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants, and they consume a lot of vegetation each day—up to 10% of their body weight. They are not aggressive animals and are known for their calm and friendly nature. However, their population is at risk because of threats like boat collisions, habitat loss, and pollution. Conservation efforts, such as creating manatee protection zones and reducing pollution, are helping to protect them. In recent years, manatee populations are slowly increasing, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service still considers them a vulnerable species.
References:
Photos by Pat Hensley
https://www.mysticstamp.com/3105o-1996-32c-endangered-species-florida-manatee/
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2021). Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov.
