West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)
MammalMarineHerbivore
A West Indian manatee with its calf, which is nursing from behind the mother's flipper.
Image: Galen Rathbun / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Overview
The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is a large, slow-moving aquatic mammal of warm coasts and rivers from the southeastern United States through the Caribbean to northern South America. It has two subspecies: the Florida manatee (T. m. latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (T. m. manatus).
It is rotund and gray to brown, with a small head and no visible neck, wrinkled skin with sparse fine hairs, a squarish snout with bristly, mobile lips, long flexible flippers bearing three or four nails, no hind limbs and a broad, rounded, paddle-shaped tail. Its molars are replaced throughout life as they wear down.
Adults are typically 9–10 feet long, about 3 m on average, and typically weigh 200–600 kg; maximum lengths are given as 3.9 m, 4.5 m including the tail, 4.6 m or more than 13 feet, and maximum weights as 1,500 kg, 1,590 kg, 3,500 pounds or a record 1,650 kg. Females generally grow larger than males, and Antillean manatees are commonly reported as smaller than Florida manatees, though sizes overlap.
Habitat & Range
Manatees live in shallow coastal waters, bays, estuaries, rivers, canals and springs, moving freely between fresh, brackish and salt water, and favor nearshore beds of seagrass and other submerged plants close to deeper channels. They prefer water at least 1 to 2 meters deep and generally avoid water deeper than 6 meters; in the St. Johns River they live up to 200 km from the ocean.
They need warm water. In Florida, many rely in winter on natural springs, power-plant outfalls and other warm-water refuges, and Florida manatees are then confined largely to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula.
The range runs from the southeastern United States, chiefly Florida, through eastern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean islands to northern South America; its southern limit is given as northeastern Brazil or as central Brazil.
Diet
Manatees graze seagrasses and other aquatic plants, taking submerged, floating and emergent vegetation in fresh, brackish and salt water, as well as algae and, at times in some areas, mangrove parts and shoreline plants; in northern Florida they may rely on salt marsh. They graze for 6 to 8 hours a day and eat 5–10% of their body weight daily, passing food to the mouth with a flexible, split upper lip.
Accounts differ on whether manatees eat animals: some say they feed only on plants, while others report small fish and invertebrates swallowed with their food, or fish taken from fishing nets.
Behavior
Manatees are active day and night and spend most of their time feeding, resting and traveling. They rest for hours at a time near the surface or on the bottom and usually come up to breathe every three to five minutes — as often as every 30 seconds when exerting themselves — though they can stay under for up to 20 minutes.
They are largely solitary and not territorial, usually seen alone or in temporary groups of up to six, but in Florida large groups gather at warm-water sites in cold weather. The bond between a mother and her calf is the only stable long-term one. Florida manatees migrate seasonally, concentrating in Florida in winter, usually from November to March, and spreading into neighboring states as the water warms; manatees may travel hundreds of miles in a year.
Human Interaction & Conservation
West Indian manatees have been hunted for centuries for their meat, hide and bones, and are still hunted or poached in parts of Central and South America. Collisions with boats are a leading cause of death; manatees are also crushed in canal locks and flood gates and entangled in fishing gear, and they suffer from the loss of seagrass and warm-water habitat and from disturbance by people.
In the United States they are protected federally by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and in Florida also by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. Florida's power plants apparently created new warm-water winter habitat, which is at risk as aging plants go offline. IUCN's global assessment lists the West Indian manatee as Vulnerable (2024).
Conservation assessment
West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)
Vulnerable (VU)Matches source
FaunaHub's record matches IUCN's published Red List data for this species (global assessment, 2024), checked 2026-10-09.
Source and dates
- Assessed taxon
- Trichechus manatus
- Assessed
- 2024, global assessment
- IUCN taxon
- 22103
- Checked by FaunaHub
- 2026-10-09, against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28
- FaunaHub record
- reviewed 2026-06-16
IUCN Red List categories are reassessed over time. FaunaHub is not a conservation authority; check the current assessment before relying on it.
Reproduction & Life Cycle
Manatees form no lasting pair bonds. A female in estrus is followed by a mating herd of a dozen or more males — up to 20 by one account — for one week to one month, and the males take no part in raising the calf.
Breeding happens year-round, with a spring and summer peak at least in Florida. After a gestation of about a year, usually a single calf is born — twins are rare — measuring about 120 cm by most accounts and weighing about 30 kg. Calves nurse underwater from teats behind the mother's flippers, begin eating plants within a few weeks and stay with their mother for one to two years. Accounts differ on how often females give birth and at what age they mature.
Manatees can live a long time — 50–60 years, or 60 years or more, by different accounts, and up to 69 years in captivity — but Florida research found few manatees living past 30, and most animals examined after death had died between 0 and 10 years of age.
Sourced facts
Each value below is traced to the specific reference that states it. Open a row's evidence to see the source, where to look in it, and how firmly it supports the value. Sources checked 2026-10-20.
| Fact | What the source states | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Distinguishing traits | Rotund, gray to brown aquatic mammal with a small head and no visible neck, wrinkled skin with sparse fine hairs, a squarish snout with bristly mobile lips, long flexible flippers bearing three or four nails, no hind limbs, and a broad, rounded, paddle-shaped tail.Algae can make the skin look green or brown. Calves are extremely dark at birth and lose that coloration at about one month. Molars are replaced throughout life as they wear down. It is the only sirenian in its range except possibly around the mouth of the Amazon, where Amazonian manatees differ in their smaller size, more slender body, smooth skin and flippers without nails. | Matches source · Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database), Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press), Save the Manatee Club, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — how we knowNaturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)
Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
Save the Manatee Club
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
|
| Geographic range | Native to coastal and inland waters of the southeastern United States (chiefly Florida), eastern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean islands and northern South America to Brazil, where the southern limit is given as the northeastern coast or as central Brazil.sources disagreeFlorida manatee (T. m. latirostris): mainly Florida; in summer north into the Carolinas, a few to Virginia, rarely Massachusetts or Rhode Island, and west to Louisiana, at times Texas. Antillean manatee (T. m. manatus): patchy from northern Mexico through Central America and the Greater Antilles. Hunting, common until the early 1900s, removed it from Guadeloupe and other Lesser Antilles islands. | Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database), Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press), Save the Manatee Club, Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency) — how we knowWhat each reading says
Accounts place the southern limit differently: northeastern Brazil in two, central Brazil in one, the northern and eastern coasts of South America in another, and the northern coastline of South America in a fifth, which does not name Brazil. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)
Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
Save the Manatee Club
Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency)
|
| Habitat | Shallow tropical and subtropical coastal waters, bays, estuaries, rivers, canals and springs; moves freely between fresh, brackish and salt water and favors nearshore seagrass and other submerged plants by deeper channels. Needs warm water: many use warm-water refuges in winter.Prefers water at least 1 to 2 meters deep, is most often found traveling in 3 to 5 meters, and generally avoids water over 6 meters; lives up to 200 km from the ocean in the St. Johns River. Florida winter refuges include natural springs, power-plant outfalls and passive thermal basins, and some manatees stay along the edge of the Everglades. | Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Save the Manatee Club, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press), Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database), Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency) — how we knowAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Save the Manatee Club
Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)
Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency)
|
| Diet | Grazes seagrasses and other aquatic plants (submerged, floating and emergent) in fresh, brackish and salt water, plus algae and, at times in some areas, mangrove parts and shoreline plants; in northern Florida it may rely on salt marsh. Accounts differ on whether invertebrates and fish are eaten.sources disagreeGrazes 6 to 8 hours a day and eats 5–10% of its body weight daily: 30–50 kg of food a day by one account, over 100 kg for a large individual by another. Wild manatees seem to prefer submerged plants, then floating and emergent ones. The flexible split upper lip passes food to the mouth. | Sources disagree · Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press), Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Save the Manatee Club, Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — how we knowWhat each reading says
Two accounts say manatees feed exclusively or solely on vegetation, while three others report invertebrates and fish being eaten: some manatees eat fish in the wild, small fish and invertebrates are sometimes swallowed with plants, and fish are taken from fishing nets. Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Save the Manatee Club
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
|
| Body size | Adults typically 9–10 feet long, averaging about 3 m; maximums are given as 3.9 m, 4.5 m including the tail, 4.6 m total length, or more than 13 feet. Newborns measure about 120 cm (1.2–1.4 m in one account), or about 1 m in another.sources disagreeWhere the measure is named it is total length, including the tail. One account gives adults as 2.5–4.6 m, another says most adults are up to 3.5 m, and a third gives the average adult as about 10 feet. Females generally grow longer than males. Antillean manatees (T. m. manatus) are commonly reported as smaller than Florida manatees, though sizes overlap. | Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press), Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Save the Manatee Club — how we knowWhat each reading says
Maximum adult length disagrees: 3.9 m in one account, 4.5 m including the tail in another, the top of a 2.5–4.6 m total-length range in a third, and more than 13 feet in a fourth. Newborn length is about 1 m in one account but about 120 cm, 1.2–1.4 m, or four to four and a half feet in others. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Save the Manatee Club
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
|
| Body mass | Adults typically 200–600 kg; maximums are given as 1,500 kg, 1,590 kg, a record 1,650 kg, or as much as 3,500 pounds. Newborns weigh about 30 kg by most accounts, or 18–27 kg by one.sources disagreeTypical adult weight is also given as around 1,000 pounds, and the average adult as 800–1,200 pounds; one account puts calves at around 60 to 70 pounds at birth. Females are generally heavier than males. Antillean manatees (T. m. manatus) are commonly reported as lighter than Florida manatees, though weights overlap. | Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press), Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Save the Manatee Club — how we knowWhat each reading says
Maximum weight disagrees: up to 1,500 kg in one account and a record of 1,650 kg in another, while two more give up to 1,590 kg and as much as 3,500 pounds, figures close to each other. Birth weight is 18–27 kg in one account but about 30 kg in three others. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Save the Manatee Club
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
|
| Lifespan | Wild: potential lifespan given as 50–60 years or as 60 years or more, and one wild manatee was estimated at 59 years, yet Florida research found few manatees living past 30. Captivity: up to 69 years.sources disagreeIn that Florida research, which included necropsies, most necropsied animals had died aged 0 to 10; the account reporting it calls longevity in the wild uncertain. A data panel in another account lists average lifespans of 30.0 years in the wild and 28.0 or 30.0 years in captivity. One male Florida manatee born in 1948 died in 2017 at an aquarium. The potential-lifespan figures come from two Florida-focused accounts. | Sources disagree · AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Save the Manatee Club, Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency) — how we knowWhat each reading says
Potential lifespan is 50–60 years in one account but 60 years or more in another. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Save the Manatee Club
Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency)
|
| Activity pattern | Slow-moving and active day and night, resting for several hours at a time near the surface or on the bottom. Typically surfaces to breathe every three to five minutes, as often as every 30 seconds when exerting itself, and can stay under for up to 20 minutes.Most of its time is spent feeding, resting and traveling. One account gives the 20-minute breath-hold for resting manatees; another gives it without that condition. | Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Save the Manatee Club, Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database) — how we knowAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Save the Manatee Club
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)
|
| Social structure | Largely solitary and not territorial; mostly seen alone or in temporary groups of up to 6, but large aggregations form at warm-water sites in Florida in cold weather. The mother-calf pair is the only stable long-term bond; mating herds of males pursue an estrous female.Manatees do not observe any social hierarchy, but courting males establish a dominance hierarchy for mating rights. A female in estrus may draw a dozen or more males, up to 20 by one account, which pursue her for one week to one month, and breeding appears indiscriminate. No permanent pair bonds form, and males take no part in raising calves. | Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press), Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database), Save the Manatee Club — how we knowAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)
Save the Manatee Club
|
| Reproduction | Single calf, twins rare; breeds year-round, with a spring-summer peak at least in Florida. Gestation is about a year. Calves nurse underwater and stay with the mother one to two years. Birth interval, gestation length and female maturity age are reported differently.sources disagreeCalves begin eating plants a few weeks after birth and are probably nutritionally independent by the end of their first year. Males can mate as early as 2 but reach full maturity at 9 to 10; most females breed successfully at 7 to 9. A calf's early death can shorten the interval before the next birth. | Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources), Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press), Save the Manatee Club, Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — how we knowWhat each reading says
Birth interval: one young per year in one account, versus 3 to 5 years, a believed two to five years, or an average of 1,187 days in others. Gestation: 12 to 14 months, 12–13 months, at least 12 months or about a year, versus an average of 335 days in a longevity database. Female maturity: 4 to 5 years, versus an average of 1,278 days in that database; another account gives sexual maturity at about five years without naming the sex. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources)
Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
Save the Manatee Club
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
|
| Movement | Florida manatees migrate seasonally: in winter, usually November to March, they concentrate in peninsular Florida at warm-water sites, then disperse into neighboring states as waters warm. Manatees may travel hundreds of miles a year, preferring channels and shorelines.In Florida, water temperatures below 70° F (21° C) send manatees into warm-water refuges, and in winter Florida manatees are confined largely to the southern two-thirds of the Florida Peninsula. Many return to preferred habitats each year, and calves learn migration routes and warm-water sites from their mothers. Manatees also travel between islands and along coasts; Texas records probably represent migrants from Florida or Mexico. | Matches source · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Save the Manatee Club, Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency), Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press) — how we knowU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Save the Manatee Club
Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency)
Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
|
| Human interaction | Hunted for centuries for meat, hide and bones; still hunted or poached in parts of Central and South America. Boat strikes are a leading cause of death; manatees are also crushed in locks and flood gates and entangled in fishing gear. Protected by U.S. federal and Florida law.US federal laws: the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973; in Florida, also the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978; laws also exist in countries such as Costa Rica and Venezuela. Habitat and seagrass loss, runoff and harassment add pressure. Florida power plants apparently created new warm-water winter habitat, at risk as aging plants go offline, which could cause die-offs in cold winters. | Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency), Save the Manatee Club, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press) — how we knowAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Marine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency)
Save the Manatee Club
Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)
|
References for the facts above
- UniversityAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySupports: identification, range, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, lifespan, activity, social structure, reproduction, human interaction. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Student-authored account last updated 2000-02-17, citing sources from 1989-1999. Its biogeographic tags also list Antarctica as native range, an evident error that is not used here. Its lifespan panel (credited to the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research) gives two different captive averages, and it calls the Marine Mammal Protection Act the 'Marine Mammal Act'.
- GovernmentU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceSupports: identification, range, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, activity, reproduction, movement, human interaction. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Species profile covering both subspecies; size and weight figures are not tied to a subspecies, sample or study. Uses the U.S. government name 'Gulf of America' for the Gulf of Mexico. Population estimates on the page are not used (conservation status is supplied separately).
- GovernmentU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceSupports: identification (algae, dark calves), diet (salt marsh in northern Florida). Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Florida manatee (T. m. latirostris) profile; much of its text repeats the species page.
- GovernmentU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceSupports: body size and body mass (Antillean versus Florida manatees), human interaction (threats to the Antillean manatee). Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Antillean manatee (T. m. manatus) profile; much of its text repeats the species page.
- UniversityNatural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press)Supports: identification, range, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, social structure, reproduction, movement, human interaction. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Book account focused on Texas (copyright 1994, 2004, 2016) without in-text references; its newborn size, birth interval and record weight differ from other accounts, and its conservation section predates the 2017 federal reclassification.
- ReferenceNaturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database)Supports: identification, range, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, activity, social structure, reproduction. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Undated identification-guide text without in-text references; its maximum length (3.9 m) and southern range limit (central Brazil) differ from other accounts.
- Wildlife referenceSave the Manatee ClubSupports: identification, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, lifespan, activity, social structure, reproduction, movement, human interaction. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Conservation charity's fact page, centered on Florida manatees; birth and calf details are credited to Reynolds and Odell (1991) and the lifespan findings to Florida state research, without dates or sample sizes.
- GovernmentMarine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency)Supports: range, habitat, diet, lifespan, movement, human interaction (all for the Florida manatee). Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Covers only the Florida manatee (T. m. latirostris); listing history and abundance figures on the page are not used.
- ReferenceAnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources)Supports: lifespan, reproduction (life-history averages). Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Build 15 (03/07/2023). The 69-year captive record cites a museum memorial page and is rated medium sample size, acceptable data quality; the life-history averages are not tied to a population. ADW's data panel repeats several of these averages.
Frequently Asked Questions — West Indian Manatee
How big do manatees get?
Adults are typically 9–10 feet long and weigh 200–600 kg, though maximum lengths are given as 3.9 m, 4.5 m including the tail, 4.6 m or more than 13 feet, and maximum weights as 1,500 kg, 1,590 kg, 3,500 pounds or a record 1,650 kg. Females are generally larger than males.
What do manatees eat?
Mainly seagrasses and other aquatic plants, grazing 6 to 8 hours a day and eating 5–10% of their body weight daily. Some accounts report small fish and invertebrates swallowed along with their food.
Why do manatees gather at warm springs?
In Florida, manatees need warm-water habitats to get through the winter, and many move into refuges such as natural springs and power-plant outfalls when water temperatures fall below 70° F (21° C).
How long do manatees live?
Potentially a long time — 50–60 years, or 60 years or more, by different accounts, and up to 69 years in captivity — but Florida research found few wild manatees living past 30.
Sources and further reading
Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.
- UniversityAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — Trichechus manatus (West Indian manatee) species account — identification, range, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, lifespan, activity, social structure, reproduction, human interaction
- GovernmentU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — West Indian manatee species profile — identification, range, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, activity, reproduction, movement, human interaction
- GovernmentU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Florida manatee species profile — identification (algae, dark calves), diet (salt marsh in northern Florida)
- GovernmentU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Antillean manatee species profile — body size and body mass (Antillean versus Florida manatees), human interaction (threats to the Antillean manatee)
- UniversityNatural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University (The Mammals of Texas, 7th edition, Schmidly and Bradley, University of Texas Press) — Trichechus manatus, The Mammals of Texas — identification, range, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, social structure, reproduction, movement, human interaction
- ReferenceNaturalis Biodiversity Center (Marine Mammals species database) — West Indian manatee, Marine Mammals species database — identification, range, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, activity, social structure, reproduction
- Wildlife referenceSave the Manatee Club — Manatee facts (Florida) — identification, habitat, diet, body size, body mass, lifespan, activity, social structure, reproduction, movement, human interaction
- GovernmentMarine Mammal Commission (independent U.S. government agency) — Florida manatee, species of concern — range, habitat, diet, lifespan, movement, human interaction (all for the Florida manatee)
- ReferenceAnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) — Trichechus manatus longevity entry — lifespan, reproduction (life-history averages)
- ReferenceMammal Diversity Database (American Society of Mammalogists) — Trichechus manatus taxonomic record — identity: accepted name, authorship, classification, synonyms, other common names
- ReferenceIntegrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) — Trichechus manatus, TSN 180684 — identity cross-check: valid name, TSN 180684, synonym, subspecies, class Mammalia