"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Fiiiiiiive manateeeeeee!!!!! 
Four banded shrimp,

 Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

West Indian Manatee

Trichechus manatus

 Manatees are large aquatic relatives of the elephant. They are grayish brown in color and have thick, wrinkled skin where often, a growth of algae is found. Their front flippers help them steer, or sometimes crawl, through shallow water. They also have powerful, flat tails that help propel them through the water. Manatees take up residence primarily in Florida’s coastal waters during winter. Some individuals migrate as far north as the Carolinas or as far west as Louisiana in summer. Manatee are endangered and have been of great conservation concern to federal, state, private, and non-profit organizations in order to protect these species from natural and human-induced threats.