Extinct Stellers Sea Cow

The North Pacific was home to the Steller's Sea Cow. They were huge animals and it is thought they were related to the dugong and manatee that we have today in the oceans. The Steller's Sea Cow was 8 to 9 meters long.

Explorers fund the Steller's Sea Cow living in the Arctic Circle. It is said there were many of them living in the North Pacific. Less than 70 years after the explorers discovered the Steller's Sea Cow they were completely gone.

The Steller's Sea Cow was similar in appearance to the seal. Their tail was like that of a whale. The Steller's Sea Cow never got out of the water. They have skin that is black. Their skin is very thick. They have a small head and large body. The Steller's Sea Cow has no teeth. In the place e of teeth they have 2 white bones that are flat and one is on the bottom and the other one is on the top of their mouth.

It is said the Steller's Sea Cow was very tame. It is believed they could not go completely under water. Being that they were tame and could not submerge they were easy targets for human hunters.

The ate sea weed, kelp and sea grass that grew in the oceans shallow water. Before the humans came they had very few predators. When the humans came and started hunting the Steller's Sea Cow it took them 17 years to become extinct. Their relatives that live in the ocean today are threatened.

norlaw

Sources and credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellers-Sea-Cow Picture courtesy of: wikimedia commons.