Species group · Mammals
Manatees
WAnimals has 4 species of manatee, in the family Trichechidae.
- 4 species
- 1 family
- 63 countries
- 28 parks
- Weight
- 120 kg – 1.6 t
- Length
- 2.5 m – 4 m
- Lifespan
- 30 – 60 years
Ranges calculated from the profiles that record the figure, not from all 4.
All 4 species of manatees on WAnimals
Each one has its own full profile. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.
VulnerableWest Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
36 countries14 parks9 dive sites
VulnerableFlorida Manatee
Trichechus manatus latirostris
1 country3 parks3 dive sites
VulnerableAfrican Manatee
Trichechus senegalensis
19 countries7 parks1 dive site
VulnerableAmazonian Manatee
Trichechus inunguis
12 countries4 parks
Conservation status
4 Vulnerable
4 species in this group are in a threatened category according to the IUCN.
Where they live
Recorded in 63 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:
Where to see them
- Amacayacu1 species
- Anavilhanas1 species
- Bacalar Chico1 species
- Bastimentos Island1 species
- Biscayne1 species
- Cahuita1 species
- Ciénaga de Zapata1 species
- Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo1 species
- Diawling1 species
- Djoudj Bird Sanctuary1 species
- Dry Tortugas1 species
- Everglades1 species
- Ambergris Cayediving
- Banco Chinchorrodiving
- Bijagós Islandsdiving
- Blue Heron Bridgediving
- Blue Hole (Turneffe)diving
- Bocas del Torodiving
Did you know…?
It has to turn its whole body to look sideways.
From West Indian Manatee
It eats a wide range of water plants, as many as 60 different species.
From West Indian Manatee
It lives in warm coastal waters, estuaries, rivers and canals of the Caribbean and the south-eastern United States.
From West Indian Manatee
Its molars are replaced continuously throughout life: new teeth erupt at the back and move forward, replacing those worn down by the sand on the seagrass.
From Florida Manatee
Snooty, born in 1948, was the longest-lived manatee ever documented and reached 69 years.
From Florida Manatee
It is the aquatic mammal that travels furthest inland in Africa: there are records on the Niger River in Mali, more than 2,000 km from the coast.
From African Manatee
It is protected by traditional taboos in several West African cultures, which regard it as a transformed ancestor.
From African Manatee
It is the only sirenian that lives entirely in fresh water all its life, never entering the sea.
From Amazonian Manatee