One of the 4 manatees on WAnimals
Mammals · Sirenia · Trichechidae
Florida Manatee
Trichechus manatus latirostris
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
The Florida manatee is the subspecies of the West Indian manatee that lives in the south-eastern United States. It is a herbivorous sirenian that can eat around 10% of its body weight in aquatic plants each day, mainly seagrasses. It lacks sufficient insulating fat, so it cannot tolerate water below around 20 degrees and in winter it gathers at warm springs and at power station outflows. Its main threats are boat strikes and the loss of seagrass meadows.
Weight
200 kg – 600 kg
Size
2.5 m – 4 m
Life expectancy
40 years
