Manatee Facts

West Indian manatees are large,  aquatic mammals with a body that tapers to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They are grayish-brown in color and have two flippers with nails on them. The head and face of these animals are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. The closest relative to the West Indian manatee is the elephant.  The average, adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs about 1000 pounds.They can reach up to 13 feet in length and weigh up to 3,000 pounds. Manatees emit sound under the water. They make these sounds when they are freighted, or interacting with another. Sound is not the only form of communication that a manatee will use there are sight, taste, touch, and smell.

Manatees are concentrated in Florida in the winter, but can be found as far west as Louisiana and as far north as Virginia and the Carolinas in the summer months. The Manatee lives in warm, shallow rivers, bays, estuaries and coastal waters. Usually don't live in waters that are below 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Often found in the warm waters released by power plants. The clarity of the water is not important (clear or muddy).

Manatees are very gentle, slow-moving, graceful swimmers. They eat aquatic plants and can consume 10-15% of their body weight daily. Manatees must come to the surface to breathe on the the average of every three to five minutes. If they are using alot of energy, they may surface to breathe as often as every 30 seconds.

The reproductive rate for the manatee is very slow. Female manatees are not sexually mature till they are about five years old, and males not until nine years old. One calf is born every 2-5 years, birth of twins may occur but is not frequent. The gestation period is about 13 months. Manatees breed year round in Florida, however most of the calf's are born in the spring and summer months. Most amazonian manatees are born in February and May. At birth the calf measures about 4 to 4.5ft and weighs about 60-70 pounds. The amazonian manatee measures only about 30 inches.

A newborn calf can swim at the surface of the water by itself. The newborn is capable of vocalizing when they are born. Several hours after birth the calf begins to nurse from it's mother's teat. Calves nurse under water. A few weeks after being born the infant begins to nibble on plants. The calf may stay with the mother for up to two years before going out on it's own, it stays with the mother to learn survival, travel routes and warm water refuges.

Manatees have no natural enemies, and it is believed they can live 60 years or more. Many manatee mortalities are human-related. Most occur from collissions with watercraft. The loss of habitat is the most serious threat facing the manatee today. There are approximately 2600 West Indian manatees left in the United States.

It is illegal to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy or molest manatees. Anyone convicted of violating state law faces maximun fines of $500 and or imprisonment of up to 60 days. Conviction for violating federal protection laws is punishable by fines up to $10,000 and or one year in prison.