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When you think of an alligator, it is easy for a dinosaur to come to mind. With their huge jaws, scaly skin, and sharp claws, these creatures look a lot like monsters from a scary movie instead of an animal that lives in ponds and swamps.

Keep reading to find out more facts about alligators!

What are the characteristics of an alligator?

Alligators belong to the reptile family, which means that they are cold-blooded, have a backbone, and are covered in dry skin with scales. They have been living on Earth for millions of years, and are sometimes called 'living fossils' because they have not changed very much since the times of the dinosaurs.

Alligators are massive animals that can weigh over 800 pounds and be as long as 10 to 13 feet. This is about as long as a car! Alligators have long, round snouts and are usually very dark green or black in color.

Where do alligators live?

There are two different kinds of alligator: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator. American alligators can be found in the southeastern part of the United States, in places like Florida, Louisiana, and Georgia. They live in freshwater environments like swamps, ponds, marshes, rivers, and lakes.

Chinese alligators can be found in the Yangtze River valley in China. They are extremely endangered, however, so they are found more often in zoos than in the wild. Chinese alligators are much smaller than American alligators, and are usually only six feet long and weigh under 100 pounds.

What do alligators like to eat?

Alligators are a top predator in their environment and can eat almost anything they choose. When they are younger, they mainly like to eat smaller things like fish, worms, snails, and insects. As they get bigger and stronger, they start eating bigger animals like large fish, turtles, muskrats, deer, and even other reptiles.

Alligators have even been seen ambushing big animals like panthers and black bears, making them the biggest threat to animals around the area. While they don't just jump out at anything they see, they can be mean and aggressive if they feel like they need to protect themselves. So it is important that you never try to go near an alligator if you see one!

How do alligators hunt?

When an alligator is ready to attack its prey, there are a couple of different ways they may hunt. Thanks to their dark color and excellent camouflage, it is fairly easy for them to slowly sneak up on animals before they attack.

For smaller prey like fish or birds, alligators will eat them whole in one bite. For larger prey, they usually grab it in their strong jaw and drag it into the water to drown it.

Then they do what is called the "death roll". This is when alligators bring their prey on land and then wildly roll around until bite-sized chunks come off for them to chew.

Do alligators live alone or in groups?

Large male alligators live alone and do not like to share their space with anyone or anything. They defend their territory and make sure nothing gets near them. Smaller alligators, like young alligators and females, often live in groups near to each other. This helps them to defend their young and their territory.

Quick Facts:

Alligators belong to the reptile family

They are cold-blooded and have dry, scaly skin

They have long, round snouts and are dark green or black

They can be 13 feet long and up to 800 pounds

The live in freshwater areas like ponds, marshes, rivers, and lakes

Alligators eat fish, turtles, muskrat, deer, and even bears

Alligators are strong and fierce animals that have been around for millions of years. They are top predators and rule the animals in their environment. As long as we protect them, and leave them alone, they will continue to rule for many years to come.

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Alligator Facts When you think of an alligator, it is easy for a dinosaur to come to mind. With their huge jaws, scaly skin, and sharp claws, these creatures look a lot like monsters from a scary movie instead of an animal that lives in ponds and swamps.

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Alligator Facts / General Information / Florida Alligator Marketing and Education

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Quick facts about the American alligator and Florida alligators.

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Explore our wide variety of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Alligator Facts for Kids

Check out our range of fun alligator facts for kids. Learn about alligator's powerful bite, how much they weigh, what they eat and much more. Read on and enjoy a variety of interesting information about alligators.

Alligators are reptiles.

Alligators have been living on Earth for millions of years and are sometimes described as 'living fossils'.

There are two different species of alligator, the American alligator and the Chinese alligator.

American alligators live in south-eastern areas of the United States such as Florida and Louisiana.

Chinese alligators are found in the Yangtze River but they are critically endangered and only a few remain in the wild.

Like other reptiles, alligators are cold-blooded.

Alligators can weigh over 450 kg (1000 lb).

Alligators have a powerful bite but the muscles that open the jaw are relatively weak. An adult human could hold the jaws of an alligator shut with their bare hands.

Alligators eat a range of different animals such as fish, birds, turtles and even deer.

Alligator eggs become male or female depending on the temperature, male in warmer temperatures and female in cooler temperatures.

Alligators are less likely to attack humans than crocodiles.

Like crocodiles, alligators are part of the order 'Crocodylia'.

Check out some interesting alligator and crocodile differences.

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Fun Alligator Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Alligators

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Explore our wide variety of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Alligator Facts for Kids Check out our range of fun alligator facts for kids. Learn about alligator's powerful bite, how much they weigh, what they eat and much more.

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The American alligator (Alligator mississipiensis) is a big reptile belonging to the family of crocodiles. It is indigenous in south east of United States of America. Mature male alligators measure 3.4 meters to 5 meters long, and has a life weight of 450 to 600 kilograms. On the other hand, females are small, measuring approximately three meters long. The American alligator has a broad mouth, overlapping jaws, and dark color.

Diet

American alligators are top predators. Mature alligators feed on vertebrates such as mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and amphibians. Young alligators consume animals without backbone including insects, spiders, snails, worms, and insect larvae. American alligator hunt for animals lesser its size. A recent research in its digestive system indicated that some of indigenous raccoons, muskrats and mammals are dominant on the diet. Calves, cats and dogs are second on the list of alligators' diet. Alligators also feed on birds such as herons, egrets, storks and coots. Young fledgling birds learning to fly at the water banks in late summer also serve as the main target.

Habitat and Range

American alligators are dominant in wild southeastern United States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, and great dismal swamp of Virginia. Some new alligator habitats are continually coming up. Though the new habitats are smaller, they have promising multiplication due favorable environmental conditions. Majorly, alligators inhabit ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, and swamps. A recent study revealed that one alligator lived in a river for ten years in North Atlanta, Georgia.

Most females and young ones live in Carolina bays and surrounding wetlands. They like fresh water but may move to saline water. However, they cannot withstand salty water as they have non-functional salt glands on the tongue. In North Central Florida, studies revealed that male alligators mainly thrive in open lakes during spring. Their female counterparts prefer dwelling in swamps and open waters during spring. During summer, male alligators prefer open water while females opt for swamps in order to construct nests to lay eggs in. During winter, both male and females will hibernate in banks or tree clumps. American alligators thrive well even under cold conditions. They are active even under temperatures of seven degrees Celsius. The alligators are well equipped to deal with cooler conditions, thus, they have spread further north from the equator.

Reproduction

American alligators breed in spring. During this season, the alligators come together for courtship and mating. Females make nests composed of leaves, sticks, vegetation, and mud. Females lay twenty to fifty eggs and cover them with vegetation in order to provide warmth to the eggs. Sex development in alligators depends on temperature. Males develop at a temperature 34 degrees Celsius or more, while females develop at temperature 30 degrees Celsius or lower.

Behavior

American alligators turn wetlands to small holes that hold water for dry seasons. These holes serve as homes for other water animals as well. Water animals escape drought by hibernating in alligator holes. Alligators also control perennial vegetation in wetlands. They achieve this by feeding on small animals like coypu, which can clear marshy vegetation.

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American Alligator Facts: Animals of North America

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The American alligator (Alligator mississipiensis) is a big reptile belonging to the family of crocodiles. It is indigenous in south east of United States of America. Mature male alligators measure 3.4 meters to 5 meters long, and has a life weight of 450 to 600 kilograms. On the other hand, females are small, measuring approximately three meters long.

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Alligators are a species of reptile are while they resemble crocodiles, they are very different animals. Alligators have a snout that is black in color, rounded and wide and even with its mouth closed you can still see its upper teeth. There are two types of alligators in the world and each have different size, weight and behavior patterns.

American alligators are the largest of the breed and can grow up to 3.4 meters (11.2 feet) long with a weight up to 454 kilograms (1,000 lbs.). The live in the southern states of the United States, covering from North Carolina through to Texas. The most populated areas are in slow-moving ponds, rivers, swamps and lakes.

Chinese alligators are much smaller in size with a maximum size of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) and weight of 22.7 kilograms (50 lbs.). These alligators live in along the river basin of the Yangtze River in China, which is near the Pacific Ocean. The most populated areas are in lakes, rivers and swamps but they have been confined to mostly ponds and ditches in and around areas where food is grown. The confinement is due to the fact that much of the area where they used to live has been converted to rice paddies.

Alligators are 'cold-blooded' and therefore they don't have the ability to keep themselves warm. They are often seen basking in the sun to bring their internal temperature up. If they become overheated they use the water to bring their temperature down.

Fun Alligator Facts for Kids

They are very social reptiles and prefer to live in groups called 'congregations'.

They are excellent and fast swimmers and do most of their hunting in the water.

Alligators are reptiles.

Alligators don't really have a preference for what they eat; they will eat just about anything.

Alligators in the water will attack their prey and drag it to the bottom where it will roll around with the prey in their mouth until it has drowned or is dead. It then lodges the prey in between rocks and will return at various times to feed.

Alligators are clumsy on land and while they are slower than in the water, they can move quickly.

Tourists and non-residents that feed alligators cause them to lose their fear of humans and they will then attack small children, pets and even adults.

The female alligator will lay a clutch of eggs on the land and cover it with a variety of sand and dirt. The temperature of each egg will determine if it is a boy or girl.

Female alligators guard their nest very aggressively and will attack anything that comes near the nest.

One the alligator eggs are ready to hatch the female alligator may help them by cracking the egg shells and some have been known to carry the babies into the water in their mouths.

At one time, American alligators were hunted to near extinction due to the popularity of the alligator hide for purses and wallets. They were on the endangered species list and are considered one of the greatest success stories for bringing a species back in such huge numbers.

Alligators in Florida will search any area to live in, often moving from lake to lake. This takes them over streets as they look for new homes.

In Florida, alligators have been found in people's swimming pools, under cars and houses and even at their front doors. This is due to the fact that they have gotten lost.

There are many ponds and lakes in Florida that are surrounded by homes and families that have alligators in them. Many county officials will only remove the alligators if they have shown aggressive behavior or if they are larger than a specific size.

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Alligators are a species of reptile are while they resemble crocodiles, they are very different animals. Alligators have a snout that is black in color, rounded and wide and even with its mouth closed you can still see its upper teeth. There are two types of alligators in the world and each have different size, ...

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Only two species of these sneaky predators still cruise the rivers, lakes and swamps of the world.

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Wood Stork Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Large, white Wood Storks wade through southeastern swamps and wetlands. Although this stork doesn't bring babies, it is a good flier, soaring on thermals with neck and legs outstretched. This bald-headed wading bird stands just over 3 feet tall, towering above almost all other wetland birds.

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Wood Stork Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Large, white Wood Storks wade through southeastern swamps and wetlands. Although this stork doesn't bring babies, it is a good flier, soaring on thermals with neck and legs outstretched. This bald-headed wading bird stands just over 3 feet tall, towering above almost all other wetland birds.

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Our only native stork in North America, a very large, heavy-billed bird that wades in the shallows of southern swamps. Flies with slow wingbeats, and flocks often soar very high on warm days. Young Wood Storks have noisy begging calls, but adults are almost silent except for hissing and bill clappering. Florida populations have declined as water management there has become a more difficult problem.

Conservation status

Population of southeastern United States was reportedly over 150,000 at one time, but by early 1990s probably not much over 10,000. Destruction of habitat and disruption of water flow through southern Florida were major causes of decline. Breeding population of far southern Florida has dropped sharply since 1970s, some of these birds apparently shifting north; has expanded breeding range north to South Carolina recently.

Family
Storks

Habitat

Cypress swamps (nesting colonies); marshes, ponds, lagoons. Forages mainly in fresh water, including shallow marshes, flooded farm fields, ponds, ditches. Favors falling water levels (when fish and other prey likely to be more concentrated in remaining pools). Nests mainly in stands of tall cypress, also sometimes in mangroves, dead trees in flooded impoundments.

Feeding Behavior

Forages mainly by wading in shallow water with head down, bill in water and partly open; quickly snaps bill shut when it makes contact with prey. Can locate prey by touch or sight.

Eggs

3-4, sometimes 2-5. Whitish. Incubation is by both sexes, 28-32 days. Young: Fed by both parents. During first 5 weeks or so, one parent usually guards young; unguarded nests may be attacked by unmated storks wandering through colony. Young may make short flights at about 8 weeks, but return to nest to be fed and to sleep until about 11 weeks old.

Young

Fed by both parents. During first 5 weeks or so, one parent usually guards young; unguarded nests may be attacked by unmated storks wandering through colony. Young may make short flights at about 8 weeks, but return to nest to be fed and to sleep until about 11 weeks old.

Diet

Mostly fish. Eats a wide variety of fish, especially minnows, killifish, mullet. Also crayfish, crabs, aquatic insects, snakes, baby alligators, small turtles, frogs, rodents, some seeds and other plant material.

Nesting

Breeds in colonies. Nests in winter and spring in Florida, where water levels (because of their impact on food supply) may dictate timing. In some years, may not attempt to nest at all. Nest site depends on colony location; may be 10-15' above water in mangroves, 80' or higher in cypress, usually well out on horizontal limb. Nest is flimsy platform of sticks, lined with twigs and leaves; male brings most materials, female may do most of building. Some sticks added to nest even after young hatch.

All Seasons - Common

All Seasons - Uncommon

Breeding - Common

Breeding - Uncommon

Winter - Common

Winter - Uncommon

Migration - Common

Migration - Uncommon

Dull croak. Usually silent except around nest. Young make clattering noises with their bills.

Audio © Lang Elliott, Bob McGuire, Kevin Colver, Martyn Stewart and others. Learn more about this sound collection.

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Our only native stork in North America, a very large, heavy-billed bird that wades in the shallows of southern swamps. Flies with slow wingbeats, and flocks often soar very high on warm days. Young Wood Storks have noisy begging calls, but adults are almost silent except for hissing and bill clappering.

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Even though a bald eagle is less than 4 feet tall, its wings more than make up for it-they span from 5.5 to 8 feet! And these birds know how to use them-a bald eagle can reach a speed of up to 200 miles per hour when diving through the air to grab a meal.

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Fun Bald Eagle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Bald Eagles

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Check out our range of fun bald eagle facts for kids. Learn about their nests, how long they live, what they eat and much more. Read on and enjoy a variety of interesting information about bald eagles.

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Bald eagle
Source: USFWS

Back to Animals for Kids

The bald eagle is a type of sea eagle with the scientific name Haliaeetus leucocephalus. It is most famous for being the national bird and symbol of the United States.

Bald eagles have brown feathers with a white head, a white tail, and a yellow beak. They also have large strong talons on their feet. They use these to capture and carry prey. Young bald eagles are covered by a mixture of brown and white feathers.

Bald eagle landing
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The bald eagle has no real predator and is at the top of its food chain.

How big are Bald Eagles?

Bald eagles are large birds with a wing span of 5 to 8 feet long and a body that ranges from 2 feet to just over 3 feet long. The females are larger than the males and weigh around 13 pounds, while the males weigh around 9 pounds.

Where do they live?

They like to live near large bodies of open water like lakes and oceans and in areas that have a good supply of food to eat and trees to make nests. They are found in much ofNorth America including Canada, northern Mexico, Alaska, and the 48 United States.

Bald eagle chicks
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What do they eat?

The bald eagle is a bird of prey or raptor. This means that it hunts and eats other small animals. They mostly eat fish such as salmon or trout, but they also eat small mammals like rabbits and raccoons. Sometimes they will eat small birds like ducks or gulls.

They have excellent eyesight allowing them to see small prey from very high in the sky. Then they make a diving attack at very fast speeds in order to capture their prey with their sharp talons.

Is the Bald Eagle endangered?

Today the bald eagle is no longer endangered. At one time it was endangered in the continental United States, but recovered at the end of the 1900s. It was moved to the "threatened" list in 1995. In 2007 it was completely removed from the list.

Fun Facts about Bald Eagles

They aren't really bald. They get the name from an old meaning of the word "bald" due to their white hair.

The largest bald eagles tend to live in Alaska where they sometimes weigh as much as 17 pounds.

They live around 20 to 30 years old in the wild.

They build the largest nest of any North American bird. Nests have been found that are as deep as 13 feet and up to 8 feet wide.

Some bald eagle's nests can weigh as much as 2000 pounds!

The bald eagle is on the seal of the President of the United States.

Bald eagles can fly as high as 10,000 feet.

Bald eagle with fish in its talons
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

For more about birds:

Blue and Yellow Macaw - Colorful and chatty bird
Bald Eagle - Symbol of the United States
Cardinals - Beautiful red birds you can find in your backyard.
Flamingo - Elegant pink bird
Mallard Ducks - Learn about this awesome Duck!
Ostriches - The biggest birds don't fly, but man are they fast.
Penguins - Birds that swim
Red-tailed Hawk - Raptor

Back toBirds

Back toAnimals

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Kids learn about the bald eagle, endangered bird that is the symbol of the United States.

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A bald eagle's white head may make it look bald. But actually the name comes from an old English word, "balde," meaning white. These graceful birds have been the national symbol of the United States since 1782.

Bald eagles were on the brink of extinction because of hunting and pollution. But laws created almost 40 years ago have helped protect them, and they've made a comeback.

Female bald eagles are a bit bigger than males. Their bodies can be three feet (one meter) long, and their wingspan can be eight feet (2.4 meters) across. That's about the distance from the floor to the ceiling!

Eagle nests are called aeries (AIR-ees). Bald eagles build their nests at the very top of tall trees so the eggs will be safe. Some parents come back year after year to the same nest, adding more sticks, twigs, and grass each time.

Babies, called eaglets, are born light gray then turn brown. When they are four to five years old, they develop their normal white heads and tails. In the wild, they can live to be 35 years old or more.

Bald eagles can soar over 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) high, and their great eyesight lets them see fish up to a mile (1.6 kilometers) away. When they attack, they drop down at up to 100 miles (161 kilometers) an hour! Then they glide just above the water, snag a fish with their feet, and fly off to eat it.

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A bald eagle's white head may make it look bald. But actually the name comes from an old English word, "balde," meaning white. These graceful birds have been the national symbol of the United States since 1782. Bald eagles were on the brink of extinction because of hunting and pollution.

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Bald eagles are large birds of prey native to North America. Since 1782, the bald eagle has been the United States' national emblem and mascot. The bald eagle isn't actually bald; it gets its name because its white head against its dark brown body makes it seem bald from a distance.

Even though they are a symbol for freedom in the United States, these birds are known for harassing smaller birds and stealing their prey, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. According to PBS Nature, Benjamin Franklin once said, "For my own part, I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly. ... Besides he is a rank coward: The little king bird not bigger than a sparrow, attacks him boldly, and drives him out of the district." Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird, according to the American Eagle Foundation.

Size

Bald eagles have a massive wingspread of about 7 feet (2.13 meters), according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their bodies are much smaller, though, at only 34 to 43 inches (86 to 109 centimeters). Normally, bald eagles weigh 6.5 to 14 pounds (3 to 6.5 kilograms).

(Image credit: Photo by Robert Lin)

Habitat

The bald eagle is found only in North America. For the most part, bald eagles live in forests that are near rivers, lakes, reservoirs, marshes and coasts. Some also live near fish processing plants, dumps and other areas where they can find food.

Bald eagles are typically solitary creatures. When there is abundant food, though, they may gather with others in groups of up to 400, according to the Michigan University Museum of Zoology.

Diet

Bald eagles are "fish eagles." They are in this classification because their main food source is fish. They will also eat smaller birds, other bird's eggs and small animals like rabbits, reptiles, amphibians and crabs. Since bald eagles only eat meat, this makes them carnivores.

(Image credit: Don Buscher)

Breeding habits

Bald eagles are thought to be monogamous. This means that once the birds find a mate, they will continue to only mate with each other for the rest of their lives. A bald eagle will find another mate only if it is widowed.

Bald eagles make large nests from sticks, grass, feathers, moss and cornstalks to accommodate their eggs. The largest bald eagle nest on record was found in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was 9.5 feet (2.9 meters) in diameter and 20 feet (6.1 m) deep, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It was estimated to weigh 2 metric tons (4,409 lbs.).

In the nest, the female bald eagle will lay one to three eggs and will incubate the eggs for 34 to 36 days. When they hatch, the chicks are covered in light-gray down.

Young bald eagles spend their first four years exploring and can fly hundreds of miles per day. Bald eagles can live up to 28 years in the wild and 36 years in captivity.

Classification/taxonomy

Bald eagles, also called American eagles, are part of the Accipitridae family, which also includes hawks, kites and other kinds of eagles. The taxonomy of bald eagles, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), is:

Kingdom: Animalia

Subkingdom: Bilateria

Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Infraphylum: Gnathostomata

Superclass: Tetrapoda

Class: Aves

Order: Accipitriformes

Family: Accipitridae

Genus: Haliaeetus

Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Subspecies: Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus (Southern bald eagle), Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis (Northern bald eagle)

Conservation status

(Image credit: Photo by Bryan Watts.)

Though the bald eagle is revered in North America, it almost became extinct. Over-hunting was one cause of the population decline. Manmade products are also to blame. DDT, a pesticide, contaminated many of the fish that the birds ate. After eating contaminated fish, bald eagles would lay eggs with very thin shells, making reproduction difficult. Once the poison was restricted in the 1970s, the bald eagle population started to rebound, according to the National Geographic. Today, the bald eagle is not endangered. There are currently more than 10,000 bald eagles in North America, according to the Red List of Threatened Species from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Other facts

Though bald eagles can't swim, they can cross water without flying over it. They will sit in the water and row themselves across with their wings, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Bald eagles have no sense of smell, but they can taste. For example, if a bald eagle thinks that its food tastes spoiled, it won't eat it.

American eagles have been known to drown trying to haul heavy fish out of the water.

Other resources

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Bald Eagles: Facts About American Mascot

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Bald eagles are large birds of prey native to North America. Since 1782, the bald eagle has been the United States' national emblem and mascot. The bald eagle isn't actually bald; it gets its name because its white head against its dark brown body makes it seem bald from a distance.

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Scientific Name:

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Average Life Span In The Wild:

Up to 28 years

Size:

Body: 34 to 43 inches; wingspan: 6 to 8 feet

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

The bald eagle, with its snowy-feathered (not bald) head and white tail, is the proud national bird symbol of the United States-yet the bird was nearly wiped out there. For many decades, bald eagles were hunted for sport and for the "protection" of fishing grounds. Pesticides like DDT also wreaked havoc on eagles and other birds. These chemicals collect in fish, which make up most of the eagle's diet. They weaken the bird's eggshells and severely limited their ability to reproduce. Since DDT use was heavily restricted in 1972, eagle numbers have rebounded significantly and have been aided by reintroduction programs. The result is a wildlife success story-the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has upgraded the birds from endangered to least concern.

Habitat and Diet

Though their numbers have grown in much of their range, bald eagles remain most abundant in Alaska and Canada. These powerful birds of prey use their talons to fish, but they get many of their meals by scavenging carrion or stealing the kills of other animals. (Such thievery famously prompted Ben Franklin to argue against the bird's nomination as the United State's national symbol.) They live near water and favor coasts and lakes where fish are plentiful, though they will also snare and eat small mammals.

Breeding

Bald eagles are believed to mate for life. A pair constructs an enormous stick nest-one of the bird-world's biggest-high above the ground and tends to a pair of eggs each year. Immature eagles are dark, and until they are about five years old, they lack the distinctive white markings that make their parents so easy to identify. Young eagles roam great distances. Florida birds have been spotted in Michigan, and California eagles have traveled all the way to Alaska.

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Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus Average Life Span In The Wild: Up to 28 years Size: Body: 34 to 43 inches; wingspan: 6 to 8 feet Size relative to a 6-ft man: The bald eagle, with its snowy-feathered (not bald) head and white tail, is the proud national bird symbol of the United States-yet the bird was nearly wiped out there.

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Learn about the Florida Panther at Everglades Holiday Park

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The Florida panther is found in pinelands, hardwood hammocks, and mix swamp forests in Florida. Learn all about the Florida panther at Everglades Holiday Park!

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Despite this cat's name, the Florida panther bears no resemblance to black panthers, a melanistic variant of much larger cats such as the leopard or jaguar. Its taxonomic status has nothing to do with Panthera, which is that of cats such as tigers, leopards, snow leopards, lions, and jaguars. Instead, the Florida panther is under the scientific classification of Puma concolor coryi. The Florida panther is the only cougar species found in the eastern USA.

4. Behavior

Male and female Florida panthers will often have little contact with one another outside of breeding. The early life of a Florida panther is spent mainly with the mother. When a Florida panther is born, the first 2 months of its life are spent in a den made from dense scrub. During this time, it depends on its mother for everything. After this, it will hunt while under the close eye of its mother. Within 2 years, it will hunt and live on its own.

3. Habitat and Range

As its name suggests, the Florida panther is found in the US state of Florida. The Florida panther is found only in Florida. Specifically, the Florida panther lives in the southern part of Florida. While its spatial geographic range is small, it can be found in a variety of habitats. Freshwater swamp forests, pinelands, and tropical hardwood hammocks are the habitats of the Florida panther. Generally, Florida panthers live in forested areas. These habitats are for the protection of the Florida panther.

2. Diet

Like other species of wild cats, the Florida panther is a carnivore. The Florida panther is an opportunistic hunter, and will eat both small and large animals. Hares and mice are as much a part of this cat's diet as pigs and deer are. Florida panthers will even eat alligators living in the Florida swamps. Florida panthers have been known to eat livestock.

1. Physical Description

The Florida panther is similar to other cougars found in North America. It has a light brown coat on most of its body. Its underbelly has a white hue. There are black tips on the periphery on its body, specifically on the tail and ears. Although they are similar to cougars found in the rest of North America, the size of Florida panthers are smaller. However, they are larger than those found in the neotropical realm of Central America and South America. Male Florida panthers can weigh between 100 and 160 pounds (45.5 kg-72kg) and female Florida panthers can weigh between 64 to 100 pounds (29 kg-45.5 kg).

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Florida Panther Facts: Animals of North America

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Despite this cat's name, the Florida panther bears no resemblance to black panthers, a melanistic variant of much larger cats such as the leopard or jaguar. Its taxonomic status has nothing to do with Panthera, which is that of cats such as tigers, leopards, snow leopards, lions, and jaguars.

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Scientific Classification

Fast Facts

Description

Mountain lions are the largest species of cat native to North America. Their coats are typically a uniform silver-gray, tawny or reddish-brown in color although some are occasionally melanistic (black) and rarely albino. Kittens tend to have a spotted coat and blue eyes. Physically, Florida panthers differ slightly from other Felis concolor subspecies - they are darker in color, they have longer legs with smaller feet, and are lighter in weight.
Male: Adult males tend to be larger than mature females.

Size

Male: Mature males measure more than 2 m (6.6 ft.) from the nose to the tip of the tail, and stand 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in.) at the shoulders.
Female: Adult females measure about 1.8 m (6 ft.) in length from the nose to the tip of the tail.

Weight

Male: Wild adult males weigh from 48 to 67 kg (106 to 148 lbs.)
Female: Adult females weigh about 29 to 45 kg (65 to 100 lbs.)

Diet

An adult Florida panther needs to eat about 35-50 deer-sized animals each year, although females with cubs may need twice that amount. Besides white-tailed deer, Florida panthers may eat rabbits, wild hogs, birds, armadillos, rats, carrion, and grass. There is even a documented report of the panthers eating two alligators in the Everglades National Park.

Incubation

Gestational period 90 to 95 days; On average, females give birth to 1 to 4 kittens and care for their kittens in dens usually in areas of dense palmetto trees.

Estral Period

Estral period 8 days, the cycle lasts 23 days. Females of this species are induced ovulators, triggered by copulation an egg is released from the ovary.

Nursing Duration

9 to 12 months (wean)

Sexual Maturity

Male: 26 to 30 months
Female: 22 to 23 months

Life Span

10 to 12 years or more

Range

Florida

Habitat

Typically found in remote and fairly undisturbed areas with abundant prey and cover

Population

Global: Between 30 to 50 panthers

Status

IUCN: Critically Endangered (for F.c.coryi and F.c.couguar)
CITES: Appendix I (forF.c.coryi)
USFWS: Endangered

Fun Facts

1. The Florida panther is the only mountain lion subspecies found east of the Mississippi River. The few remaining wild individuals live in remote wilderness areas.

2. Florida panthers can leap more than 4 m (15 ft.) when pouncing on their prey. There are no documented cases of attacks on humans in Florida.

3. Although mountain lions are one of the largest species of cat found in North America, they actually have more in common with the house cat than a lion or tiger. Unlike other large cats, mountain lions lack a flexible hyoid and are unable to roar.

Ecology and Conservation

With a population that numbers only between 30 to 50 individuals, Florida panthers have become one of most rare and endangered animals in the United States. The greatest threat to Florida panthers is habitat loss. These animals require large territories of undisturbed land with sufficient prey.

A simple road may divide panther habitat, resulting in fewer breeding opportunities. With Florida panthers being separated from potential mates, they are forced to breed within a very small stock. Inbreeding has become a disturbing new pitfall. The close proximity of the road presents deadly hazard to the panthers. From 1978 to 1988, cars on the roadways in Florida killed 11 panthers. Currently, wildlife crossing signs, fences and underpasses help reduce deaths from collisions with automobiles.

Other pressures facing Florida panthers include exposure to domestic cat and dog diseases such as parvovirus, feline leukemia, feline HIV and rabies. Because the population numbers are so low in this subspecies, these animals may have less effective immune systems resulting from inbreeding and be more prone to disease or parasite infection.

This is the official state mammal of Florida, and state law as well as the Endangered Species Act protects Florida panthers.

Bibliography

Nowak, Ronald M. (ed.). Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991.

Parker, S. (ed.). Grizmek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., 1990.

www.endangered.fws.gov

Florida Panther Net: www.panther.state.fl.us

IUCN cat specialist group: http://lynx.uio.no/catfolk/puma-08.htm

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu

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Description Mountain lions are the largest species of cat native to North America. Their coats are typically a uniform silver-gray, tawny or reddish-brown in color although some are occasionally melanistic (black) and rarely albino. Kittens tend to have a spotted coat and blue eyes.

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or Lose Her Forever

What is the Species?

Puma concolor coryi. The Florida Panther is a unique subspecies of cougar that has adapted to the subtropical environment of Florida. Schoolchildren picked the panther as the state animal in 1981. This large charismatic umbrella species is the mascot for dozens of schools across the state and tens of thousands of residents have paid a premium for a specialty "Protect the Panther" Florida license plate, sold to pay for the state's panther research.

How Many Panthers Are Left?

In 2010, the population had grown from about 25 adults in 1995 to roughly 100. In 2015 the state estimated their population to be 100 -180. In 2017, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission updated the population estimate to between 120 - 230 panthers still remaining in Florida, making this one of the rarest and endangered mammals in the world. Even at their best estimates, 230 panthers are not a sustainable population size. The Florida panther is currently listed as endangered and is protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Where is their Habitat & Range?

The Florida panther is mostly confined to Southwest Florida, usually in pinelands, hardwood hammocks, and mixed swamp forests. Adult males may range over an area of 200 square miles, while females range over a 70 to 80 square mile area. Florida panthers are very solitary animals. An adult maintains a home range to live, hunt and, if female, raise its young alone. A male panther's home range is very large and averages 275 square miles and overlaps with the smaller home ranges of females. Panthers maintain boundaries by marking with scents. They rarely fight over territory.

The Florida Panther is an umbrella species, which means they are the heart of the ecological community within their habitat. Protecting panthers in Florida indirectly conserves other threatened and endangered wildlife in the state.

General: Panthers are most active at dusk and dawn, they can travel 15-20 miles a day, often moving in a zig-zag pattern, though they tend to rest during the daytime, travel & hunt during the cooler hours of the night. Panthers can swim and will cross wide bodies of water. They have a keen sense of smell and a field of vision of 130 degrees, they have excellent depth perception but lack the panoramic view that deer have.

They can run up to 35 mph but only for a few hundred yards, their preferred method of hunting is to creep up as close to their prey as possible and launch a short spring attack. Panthers do become used to man-made noises and frequently crossroads. They are attracted to woodland fires and may stay near burned sites for days as deer and other prey are drawn to new vegetation. When humans approach an area they will either be still, disappear, or attempt to circle behind. Panthers can live up to between 12-15 years in the wild. A male can measure 7-8 feet from the nose to tail tip and weigh 100-160 lbs. Females are about 6 feet in length and weigh between 60-100 lbs.

The start of 2019 brought exciting news, with a third female panther documented north of the Caloosahatchee River! Having females move north of the river is one of the goals in the panther recovery plan and brings promise for the future of the sub-species.

What Kind of Hunter is the Panther?

Efficient is the word. Adult male panthers weigh up to 150 pounds and can measure almost 7 feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. Females are smaller, rarely weighing more than 100 pounds. Panthers are built to hunt live prey. Deer and wild hogs are their preferred food, but, when these are not available panthers will eat raccoons, armadillos, snakes and even alligators. Interestingly, panthers eating a diet of small animals are not as healthy as those with plenty of deer to hunt. While they are good sprinters, panthers rarely chase prey for long distances. Instead, prey is singled out, stalked and ambushed.

What are the Threats?

Road kills, habitat loss, and development in panther range continue to be threats. Florida panthers are still inching back from the brink of extinction. The construction of new houses, roads, and airports in Southwest Florida continue to squeeze the panthers out and fragment their habitat, increasing the likelihood that cats will be hit by cars.

Humans are one of the panther's greatest threats. This also means that we can directly affect the panther's future. It's sad to say that Florida panthers are killed by cars and trucks, particularly on State Road 29 and Alligator Alley (I-75), and - although it is against the law - hunters also still shoot panthers occasionally. In 2016 a record 34 Florida panthers were killed by vehicle collisions. Road kills took 23 panthers in 2017 and as of April 2018, 14 dead panthers have been discovered 2018.

Florida panthers have an unusually large number of health problems. Most are related to poor habitat conditions and genetic defects. Around the Everglades, panthers have been contaminated with mercury (at least 1 has died from mercury poisoning) by eating raccoons high in mercury, which passes through the aquatic food chain. The mercury's origin is being debated and is uncertain.

Panther habitat is being lost at a rate of about 1 to 2% annually and panther range counties are among the fastest-growing areas in the nation.
Learn more about the many threats facing the Florida Panther on our Cat Fight page.
What is being done?

Plans to save the panthers focus on 3 areas of action. First, additional habitat must be secured and enhanced. Second, programs are underway to breed panthers in captivity for later release back in the wild. Third, scientists are exploring ways to increase the genetic variability of panthers through cross-breeding with closely related subspecies.

The panther needs large wilderness areas for its survival. Federally listed as endangered since 1967, the Florida panther was once down to 25 individuals. These few animals are threatened by further habitat loss, collisions with cars, the ill effects of inbreeding, and high levels of mercury in their prey.

Many of the remaining panthers live in or near Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. The National Park Service is cooperating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Natural Resources, and other organizations to try to bring about the recovery of the Florida panther. Efforts are centered on research, captive breeding, and public education. Radio-collaring of several panthers has shown what areas and habitat types they use. Other studies have identified the principal prey -- white-tailed deer. Publicity has made the public more aware of the panther's plight and alerted people to watch out for them on the highway. But with the numbers so low and suitable habitat in south Florida so restricted, captive breeding and re-establishment in other areas will be crucial for turning the population decline around.

Are There Any Refuges?

The National Wildlife Refuge System Act of 1966 includes measures to preserve ecosystems for endangered species, perpetuate migratory bird species, preserve natural diversity, and create a public appreciation for wildlife protection.

The refuge system is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. The Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is one of the 58 refuges established under the authority of the Endangered Species Act. The refuge area has long been known as an important Florida Panther habitat. Several female panthers have had litters and raised kittens on the refuge in recent years.

The Florida Panther is an umbrella species, which means they are the heart of the ecological community within their habitat. Protecting panthers in Florida indirectly conserves other threatened and endangered wildlife in the state. The Florida Panther Refuge provides habitat for a total of 126 bird species, 46 species of reptiles and amphibians, 22 species of mammals and a large variety of fish. Closed areas in the refuge protect habitat for 24 species of endangered, threatened or plant & animal species of special concern status.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission monitors panther activity using radio telemetry collars. They fly three times a week to aerially locate each radio-collared panther. These techniques provide vital information to scientists. The swamps and pinelands panthers occupy also provide us with clean air and water, as well as thousands of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants.

From FWC's 2008 Environmental Assessment for the "Interagency Florida Panther Response Plan":

"The Florida panther (Puma concolor) is one of the rarest large mammals in the United States. Historically, the panther was distributed from eastern Texas or western Louisiana and the lower Mississippi River Valley, east through the southeastern United States including all of Florida (Young and Goldman 1946). Although occasional sightings and signs were reported throughout the rural southeast between 1950 and 1980, the only confirmed panther population was found in south Florida (Anderson 1983). Geographic isolation of the Florida panther, combined with habitat loss, population decline and associated inbreeding, resulted in significant loss of genetic variability and decline in the overall health of the population. To restore genetic variability, eight female Texas panthers were released in strategic locations within south Florida in 1995. Due to the genetic augmentation, the population grew from less than 50 panthers in 1995 to the current population of 80-100. All offspring of the Texas panthers are considered to be Florida panthers. The panther is listed as endangered under both the Endangered Species Act and Florida law. Increased development into panther habitat has heightened the potential for human-panther interactions, thereby raising public safety awareness issues. Due to the panther's potential for extinction, conflicts with humans raise issues that require careful consideration and action such that the intent and ability to conserve the species is unaltered while at the same time the safety of the public remains paramount."

Refuge Location

The Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge lies 20 miles east of Naples, Florida. Interstate 75 parallels the south boundary; State Road 29 parallels the east boundary.

The Mission of the Panther Refuge

To conserve and manage lands and waters in concert with other agency efforts within the Big Cypress Watershed, primarily for the Florida Panther, other endangered and threatened species, natural diversity, and cultural resources for the benefit of the American people.

Additional Research: In 1989, data collected from 29 radio-collared panthers indicated that the population was losing genetic diversity at a rate of three to seven percent yearly. Researchers believed that the gene pool would continue to erode even if the population stabilized, leading to extinction within 40 years. Three years later, with the health of the population continuing to decline, biologists made a controversial decision. In an effort to increase genetic diversity, wildlife managers introduced several female Texas cougars - the closest remaining cougar population that had historically shared Florida panther range - into the Florida panther population in 1995. Several hybrid litters have since been produced, and the introduction seems to have corrected some of the problems experts generally attribute to inbreeding. Experts are still debating the role of the Texas cougars in panther recovery.

Despite the success of this effort, panthers are still at great risk of extinction. Conserving the panther will require aggressive protections for remaining wild lands in south Florida as well as conservation efforts on private lands.

Another major conservation challenge for the panther is reestablishing the species in other portions of its historic range. Field studies have indicated an adequate prey base and appropriate habitat in some areas of northern Florida. While there is widespread popular support for panther reintroduction in Florida, some people are still concerned about introducing the cat to new areas, fearing the panther will bring with it restrictions on private property uses, potential damage to livestock and pets, and a possible threat to human safety. Such concerns often surround recovery efforts for large carnivores, but with proper assurances to address depredation claims and any potential "problem" animals, reintroduction projects could prove a positive step towards recovering the Florida panther.

What You Can Do To Save The Panther?

1. Are you a Florida resident? Slow down when you're driving and support panther conservation efforts by buying a Protect the Florida Panther license plate.

2. Know what to do if you encounter a panther in the wild; i.e. make yourself appear larger, avoid crouching or bending over, do not run, give the panther an easy way to escape.

3. Become informed by researching materials from credible sources which take a scientific approach. Don't be an "Island of Knowledge". Teach others what you have learned and correct myths about the Florida Panther that are repeated all too often. Visit and learn from websites such as www.floridapanther.org, www.fws.gov/floridapanther, and bigcatrescue.org

4. Regularly express your support for the Florida panther by writing political figures and agency administrators.

5. Help others become educated about the nature and habits of the panther and its value as an important part of the balance of nature.

6. Support wilderness land acquisition and the public and private land management practices which emphasize biodiversity and balance.

7. Don't be silent, join in and support the environmental education process to raise the consciousness of the community. You can do this by individual effort and/or by joining with others in various ways to get the job done.

8. Do a school project on the Florida panther.

9. Make wildlife a family affair. Display panther bumper stickers. Visit national and state parks where the panther lives. Watch TV programs about endangered species.

10. Attend public meetings on panther issues. The decisions that affect endangered species are made in these forums. Make sure your voice is heard.

11. Learn more about the threats facing the Florida Panther and take action here.

12. Speak out every chance you get. Awareness is half the battle. Tell everyone you can about the plight of the panther.

As with most conservation issues, the struggle of the panther goes beyond the question of whether it is worth saving this particular species. If our wilderness can't support panthers, then many other less visible species also will perish. Let's all do what we can to ensure that future generations will know this beautiful animal and the wilderness it symbolizes.
Note: Much of the information and research on this site is courtesy of both the Florida Panther Net (http://www.panther.state.fl.us/) and The Panther Society. Our deep felt thanks goes to them for their tireless efforts to ensure the panther's survival by educating us all.
Historic News About the Florida Panther
Another female Florida panther has crossed the Caloosahatchee River, marking a huge milestone, 2020 Saving the Native Cats, 2019 FWC returns panther family back to the wild, 2018 Geneticist says Florida panther still deserves endangered species protection, 2017 Panther deaths down in 2017; signs point to rebound, 2017 Hello, kitty: Two young cats in new area a leap for endangered Florida panther, 2017 Camera-Trap Image of Florida Panther Brings New Hope to Conservationists, 2017 Evidence of female panther discovered north of Caloosahatchee, 2016 Rare river crossing raises hopes for boost in Florida panther population, 2016 FDOT Will Fence Alligator Alley Stretch Deadly to Panthers, 2015 No human has been attacked by a Florida panther in state history, wildlife official says, 2015 Florida's cats at a crossroads, 2004 On The Rebound, Panthers Prowl Expanding Swath Of Land In Florida, 2004 Cougars Enlisted in Effort to Save the Florida Panther, 1993

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Florida Panther facts, Florida Panther photos, Florida Panther videos and Florida Panther news

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Puma concolor coryi. The Florida Panther is a unique subspecies of cougar that has adapted to the subtropical environment of Florida. Schoolchildren picked the panther as the state animal in 1981.

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Our Mission - Through education, research and rescue, Dolphin Research Center promotes peaceful coexistence, cooperation and communication between marine mammals, humans and the environment we share with the well being of DRC's animals taking precedence.

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Kids Manatee Facts - Dolphin Research Center

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Kids can learn about manatees, dolphins, sea lions, and marine mammals. Dolphin camp, riddles, puzzles and dolphin facts.

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(Image: © USGS - Sirenia Project)

The manatee is a large marine mammal with an egg-shaped head, flippers and a flat tail. Manatees are also known as sea cows. This name is apt, due to their large stature; slow, lolling nature; and propensity to be eaten by other animals. However, despite the name, they are more closely related to elephants. Though they may seem like cumbersome creatures, manatees can swim quickly and gracefully.

Manatees range in size from 8 to 13 feet (2.4 to 4 meters) and can weigh 440 to 1,300 lbs. (200 to 590 kilograms). They have large, strong tails that power their swimming. Manatees usually swim about 5 mph (8 km/h), but they can swim up to 15 mph (24 km/h) in short bursts when they feel a need for speed, according to National Geographic.

Habitat

There are three species of manatee: the Amazonian manatee ( Trichechus inunguis); the West Indian manatee, or the American manatee ( Trichechus manatus); and the African manatee ( Trichechus senegalensis). Their names indicate the regions in which they live. Typically, manatees stay in rivers, seas and oceans along the coast of several countries. The African manatee lives along the coast and in the rivers of western Africa. The Amazon manatee lives in the Amazon River's drainage, from the headwaters in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador to the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil. Their range is estimated to be around 2.7 million square miles (7 million square kilometers), according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The West Indian manatee lives in the southern and eastern United States, although a few "vagrants" have been known to reach the Bahamas, according to the IUCN.

Habits

Manatees often swim alone or in pairs. They are not territorial, so they have no need for a leader or followers. When manatees are seen in a group, it is either a mating herd or an informal meeting of the species simply sharing a warm area that has a large food supply. A group of manatees is called an aggregation. An aggregation usually never grows larger than about six individuals, according to the Save the Manatee Club.

Diet

Manatees are herbivores. At sea, they tend to prefer sea grasses. When they live in rivers, they consume freshwater vegetation. Manatees also eat algae. According to National Geographic, a manatee can eat a tenth of its own weight in 24 hours. That can equal up to 130 lbs. (59 kg).

Offspring

During mating, a female manatee, which is called a cow, will be followed around by a dozen or more males, which are called bulls. The group of bulls is called a mating herd. Once the male has mated, though, he takes no part in the raising of the young.

A female manatee is pregnant for about 12 months, according to Save the Manatee Club. The calf, or baby manatee, is born underwater. The mother helps the calf get to the water's surface for air, and within the first hour of life, the calf will be able to swim on its own. In five years, the young manatee will be sexually mature and ready to have its own young. Manatees usually live about 40 years.

Classification/taxonomy

According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the manatee's full classification is:

Kingdom: Animalia

Subkingdom: Bilateria

Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Infraphylum: Gnathostomata

Superclass: Tetrapoda

Class: Mammalia

Subclass: Theria

Infraclass: Eutheria

Order: Sirenia

Family: Trichechidae

Species: Trichechus inunguis (Amazonian manatee, South American manatee), Trichechus manatus (West Indian manatee, American manatee, Caribbean manatee), Trichechus senegalensis (African manatee, West African manatee)

Subspecies: Trichechus manatus latirostris (Florida manatee), Trichechus manatus manatus (Antillean manatee)

Conservation status

The IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species lists all manatees as vulnerable or endangered and facing a high risk of extinction. Populations are expected to decline by as much as 30 percent over the next 20 years. Numbers are hard to come by, especially for the secretive Amazonian manatee; the IUCN says the estimate of 10,000 manatees should be regarded with caution because the numbers are supported by little empirical data. Similarly, the exact number of African manatees is unknown, but the IUCN estimates there are fewer than 10,000 manatees in West Africa.

The Florida manatee and the Antillean manatee were listed as endangered in 1967 and 1970, respectively, under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966; the number of mature individuals was estimated to be fewer than 2,500 for each subspecies, and the populations were expected to decline by more than 20 percent over the next two generations, or about 40 years.

On March 31, 2017, however, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) downgraded the West Indian manatees' status from endangered to threatened. Both significant increases in the manatee population numbers and habitat improvements led to the downlisting, according to the FWS.

As many as 6,620 Florida manatees and 6,300 Antillean manatees are estimated to live in the wild currently, according to the FWS.

"Today, we both recognize the significant progress we have made in conserving manatee populations while reaffirming our commitment to continuing this species' recovery and success throughout its range," Jim Kurth, acting director of the FWS, said in a statement by the FWS.

But manatees aren't out of the woods yet, and are still considered a "threatened species." One reason for the status is that manatees reproduce very slowly - the time between generations is about 20 years. In addition, fishermen trawling with nets in the Amazon and West Africa pose a grave threat to these slow-moving mammals. Also, in West Africa, manatees are hunted for their meat.

Habitat loss from waterfront development also impacts their survival. Manatees are also vulnerable to collisions with speedboats.

Other facts

Manatees are thought to have evolved from four-legged land mammals more than 60 million years ago. Except for the Amazonian manatee, their paddlelike flippers have vestigial toenails - a remnant of the claws they had when they lived on land. The Amazon species name "inunguis" is Latin for "without nails."

The name manatee comes from the Taíno (a pre-Columbian people of the Caribbean) word manatí, meaning "breast."

Manatees' eyes are small, but their eyesight is good. They have a special membrane that can be drawn across the eyeball for protection. Their hearing is good too, despite not having outer ear structures, because manatees have large inner ear bones.

Manatees' only teeth are called marching molars. Throughout a manatee's life, the molars are constantly replaced - an adaption to their diet of abrasive vegetation.

Manatees have only six neck vertebrae. Most other mammals, including giraffes, have seven. As a result, manatees cannot turn their heads sideways, and must turn their whole body around to look behind them.

Algae, photosynthetic organisms, often grow on manatees' skin.

Manatees never go on land.

Manatees don't always need to breathe. As they swim, they poke their nose up above the water's surface to catch a few breaths every few minutes. If they are simply resting, they can stay under the water for 15 minutes without taking a breath, according to National Geographic.

An animal that is similar to the manatee is the dugong ( Dugong dugon). Dugongs are also in the order Sirenia, but they are in a different family, Dugongidae. These manatee cousins are found in the Indian and Pacific oceans. They have a notch in their tails, as well as tusks.

Manatees and dugongs may have inspired mermaid legends. In ancient mythology, sirens were monsters or sea nymphs who sang mesmerizing songs that lured sailors to steer their ships onto treacherous rocks. After a long sea voyage, sailors may have thought they were seeing sirens, or mermaids, when they were probably seeing manatees or dugongs.

Additional resources

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Alina Bradford - Live Science Contributor

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(Image: © USGS - Sirenia Project) The manatee is a large marine mammal with an egg-shaped head, flippers and a flat tail. Manatees are also known as sea cows. This name is apt, due to their large stature; slow, lolling nature; and propensity to be eaten by other animals.

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Hear the story of the peaceful “sea cow,” and see why accidents have put them at-risk. Learn about the manatee’s prodigious appetite.

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The following questions were answered by whale biologist Sally Mizroch, research biologist Dan Odell, zoo nutritionist Ellen Dierenfeld and zoo biologist Will Waddell.

How many manatees are there in the world? Where are they found?
There are about 1,500 manatees in the United States, almost all in Florida. No one knows how many there are in the rest of the world, because it is very difficult and expensive to count them. They are found throughout the West Indies, along the east coasts of Central America and South America, throughout the Amazon River basin, along the coast of West Africa, and in the Congo River and other large rivers of Africa that flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Although populations have been much reduced in most areas, there are probably still many thousands.

How long can manatees live?
They can probably live to be at least 50 years old. There is a manatee named "Snooty" in Bradenton, Florida, who is in his late forties. He was born in an aquarium in Miami in the late 1940s.

What do manatees eat?
In an aquarium, manatees are fed mostly romaine lettuce, which is similar in composition to the plants they consume in the ocean. In fact, manatees are unique in being the true herbivores of the marine mammals. We've looked at vitamin E in blood samples from manatees, and they duplicate cows, while all other marine mammals (whales, seals, dolphins, otters) duplicate land carnivores in vitamin E concentrations.

How many babies do manatees have at a time?
Manatees usually have only one baby (called a calf) at a time. Twins are rare but they do happen.

How big are manatees? How big are baby manatees compared with adults?
The "average" adult manatee is about ten feet (three meters) long and weighs over 1,000 pounds (about 300 kilograms). The "average" calf is about four feet (120 centimeters) long and weighs about 60 pounds (30 kilograms).

What is the largest manatee on record?
The longest one on record is just over four meters long. The heaviest one weighed 3,500 pounds.

How long have manatees been on earth?
The ancestors of manatees are about 50 million years old.

Why are manatees so friendly?
Not all of them are friendly! Some avoid people. In other cases, people feed manatees (which is against the law) and the manatees will then approach people expecting to be fed, so they only appear to be friendly.

How do you catch manatees to study them?
The best way to catch them is with a big net, which works very well. Manatees cannot be captured by being shot with a tranquilizer underwater. They would stop breathing and drown.

What is being done to save the manatee?
Manatees are protected by a variety of laws in all the countries in which they occur. In the U.S. they are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Florida Manatee sanctuary act. Unfortunately, laws in many places are difficult to enforce and some, like the West Indian manatee, is still an endangered species.

The West Indian manatee is composed of two subspecies - the Antillean manatee (found from Cuba and Mexico to Brazil) and the Florida manatee (found primarily in Florida but ranges from Texas to Rhode Island). West Indian manatees are kept in a number of zoos and aquariums around the world. Antillean manatees have been held in several facilities in Europe, Central and South America, Japan, and China. At the present time, Florida manatees are only held in the state of Florida. The U.S. government has established regulations for keeping marine mammals (including manatees) in captivity. These regulations cover pool size, water and food quality, water temperature, and so on. In Florida, almost all of the manatees in captivity were rescued and are in rehabilitation programs (like the one operated by Sea World of Florida). The objective of the rehabilitation programs is to return the manatees to their natural habitat as soon as they are certified healthy by the veterinarians. However, some manatees have been so severely injured that they could not survive in the wild and will probably not be released.

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The following questions were answered by whale biologist Sally Mizroch, research biologist Dan Odell, zoo nutritionist Ellen Dierenfeld and zoo biologist Will Waddell. How many manatees are there in the world? Where are they found? There are about 1,500 manatees in the United States, almost all in Florida.

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(Image: © USGS - Sirenia Project)

The manatee is a large marine mammal with an egg-shaped head, flippers and a flat tail. Manatees are also known as sea cows. This name is apt, due to their large stature; slow, lolling nature; and propensity to be eaten by other animals. However, despite the name, they are more closely related to elephants. Though they may seem like cumbersome creatures, manatees can swim quickly and gracefully.

Manatees range in size from 8 to 13 feet (2.4 to 4 meters) and can weigh 440 to 1,300 lbs. (200 to 590 kilograms). They have large, strong tails that power their swimming. Manatees usually swim about 5 mph (8 km/h), but they can swim up to 15 mph (24 km/h) in short bursts when they feel a need for speed, according to National Geographic.

Habitat

There are three species of manatee: the Amazonian manatee ( Trichechus inunguis); the West Indian manatee, or the American manatee ( Trichechus manatus); and the African manatee ( Trichechus senegalensis). Their names indicate the regions in which they live. Typically, manatees stay in rivers, seas and oceans along the coast of several countries. The African manatee lives along the coast and in the rivers of western Africa. The Amazon manatee lives in the Amazon River's drainage, from the headwaters in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador to the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil. Their range is estimated to be around 2.7 million square miles (7 million square kilometers), according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The West Indian manatee lives in the southern and eastern United States, although a few "vagrants" have been known to reach the Bahamas, according to the IUCN.

Habits

Manatees often swim alone or in pairs. They are not territorial, so they have no need for a leader or followers. When manatees are seen in a group, it is either a mating herd or an informal meeting of the species simply sharing a warm area that has a large food supply. A group of manatees is called an aggregation. An aggregation usually never grows larger than about six individuals, according to the Save the Manatee Club.

Diet

Manatees are herbivores. At sea, they tend to prefer sea grasses. When they live in rivers, they consume freshwater vegetation. Manatees also eat algae. According to National Geographic, a manatee can eat a tenth of its own weight in 24 hours. That can equal up to 130 lbs. (59 kg).

Offspring

During mating, a female manatee, which is called a cow, will be followed around by a dozen or more males, which are called bulls. The group of bulls is called a mating herd. Once the male has mated, though, he takes no part in the raising of the young.

A female manatee is pregnant for about 12 months, according to Save the Manatee Club. The calf, or baby manatee, is born underwater. The mother helps the calf get to the water's surface for air, and within the first hour of life, the calf will be able to swim on its own. In five years, the young manatee will be sexually mature and ready to have its own young. Manatees usually live about 40 years.

Classification/taxonomy

According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the manatee's full classification is:

Kingdom: Animalia

Subkingdom: Bilateria

Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Infraphylum: Gnathostomata

Superclass: Tetrapoda

Class: Mammalia

Subclass: Theria

Infraclass: Eutheria

Order: Sirenia

Family: Trichechidae

Species: Trichechus inunguis (Amazonian manatee, South American manatee), Trichechus manatus (West Indian manatee, American manatee, Caribbean manatee), Trichechus senegalensis (African manatee, West African manatee)

Subspecies: Trichechus manatus latirostris (Florida manatee), Trichechus manatus manatus (Antillean manatee)

Conservation status

The IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species lists all manatees as vulnerable or endangered and facing a high risk of extinction. Populations are expected to decline by as much as 30 percent over the next 20 years. Numbers are hard to come by, especially for the secretive Amazonian manatee; the IUCN says the estimate of 10,000 manatees should be regarded with caution because the numbers are supported by little empirical data. Similarly, the exact number of African manatees is unknown, but the IUCN estimates there are fewer than 10,000 manatees in West Africa.

The Florida manatee and the Antillean manatee were listed as endangered in 1967 and 1970, respectively, under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966; the number of mature individuals was estimated to be fewer than 2,500 for each subspecies, and the populations were expected to decline by more than 20 percent over the next two generations, or about 40 years.

On March 31, 2017, however, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) downgraded the West Indian manatees' status from endangered to threatened. Both significant increases in the manatee population numbers and habitat improvements led to the downlisting, according to the FWS.

As many as 6,620 Florida manatees and 6,300 Antillean manatees are estimated to live in the wild currently, according to the FWS.

"Today, we both recognize the significant progress we have made in conserving manatee populations while reaffirming our commitment to continuing this species' recovery and success throughout its range," Jim Kurth, acting director of the FWS, said in a statement by the FWS.

But manatees aren't out of the woods yet, and are still considered a "threatened species." One reason for the status is that manatees reproduce very slowly - the time between generations is about 20 years. In addition, fishermen trawling with nets in the Amazon and West Africa pose a grave threat to these slow-moving mammals. Also, in West Africa, manatees are hunted for their meat.

Habitat loss from waterfront development also impacts their survival. Manatees are also vulnerable to collisions with speedboats.

Other facts

Manatees are thought to have evolved from four-legged land mammals more than 60 million years ago. Except for the Amazonian manatee, their paddlelike flippers have vestigial toenails - a remnant of the claws they had when they lived on land. The Amazon species name "inunguis" is Latin for "without nails."

The name manatee comes from the Taíno (a pre-Columbian people of the Caribbean) word manatí, meaning "breast."

Manatees' eyes are small, but their eyesight is good. They have a special membrane that can be drawn across the eyeball for protection. Their hearing is good too, despite not having outer ear structures, because manatees have large inner ear bones.

Manatees' only teeth are called marching molars. Throughout a manatee's life, the molars are constantly replaced - an adaption to their diet of abrasive vegetation.

Manatees have only six neck vertebrae. Most other mammals, including giraffes, have seven. As a result, manatees cannot turn their heads sideways, and must turn their whole body around to look behind them.

Algae, photosynthetic organisms, often grow on manatees' skin.

Manatees never go on land.

Manatees don't always need to breathe. As they swim, they poke their nose up above the water's surface to catch a few breaths every few minutes. If they are simply resting, they can stay under the water for 15 minutes without taking a breath, according to National Geographic.

An animal that is similar to the manatee is the dugong ( Dugong dugon). Dugongs are also in the order Sirenia, but they are in a different family, Dugongidae. These manatee cousins are found in the Indian and Pacific oceans. They have a notch in their tails, as well as tusks.

Manatees and dugongs may have inspired mermaid legends. In ancient mythology, sirens were monsters or sea nymphs who sang mesmerizing songs that lured sailors to steer their ships onto treacherous rocks. After a long sea voyage, sailors may have thought they were seeing sirens, or mermaids, when they were probably seeing manatees or dugongs.

Additional resources

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Alina Bradford - Live Science Contributor

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(Image: © USGS - Sirenia Project) The manatee is a large marine mammal with an egg-shaped head, flippers and a flat tail. Manatees are also known as sea cows. This name is apt, due to their large stature; slow, lolling nature; and propensity to be eaten by other animals.

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West Indian manatees are large, gray aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They have two forelimbs, called flippers, with three to four nails on each flipper. Their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. The manatee's closest relatives are the elephant and the hyrax (a small, gopher-sized mammal). Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal. The West Indian manatee is related to the African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, the dugong, and Steller's sea cow, which was hunted to extinction in 1768. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds.

The Florida Manatee Recovery Plan was developed as a result of the Endangered Species Act and is coordinated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS).

In October of 1989, Florida's Governor and Cabinet directed the state's wildlife agency to work with 13 "key" manatee counties in Florida to reduce injuries and deaths. These 13 counties were: Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Collier, Dade, Duval, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Sarasota, and Volusia. Over the years, these 13 county governments have worked with the state to develop site-specific boat speed zones to reduce the likelihood of watercraft collisions and to implement comprehensive manatee protection plans (MPP) for each county. Other conservation measures deemed important to saving manatees include: research addressing biology, mortality, population and distribution, behavior, and habitat of manatees; implementation of management plans; posting of regulatory speed signs and levying of fines for excess speeds in designated areas; manatee education and public awareness programs; and public acquisition of critical habitat and creation of sanctuaries.

Save the Manatee Club's Role

Save the Manatee Club's mission is to protect manatees and their aquatic habitat for future generations. To achieve this mission, we work to: increase public awareness and education; sponsor manatee research, rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts; and advocate for strong protection measures, such as boat speed zones and sanctuaries. SMC also supports research and conservation efforts for other sirenian species around the world.

Report an Injured Manatee

If you spot a sick, injured, or orphaned manatee, or a manatee being harassed, you should immediately report it. Please also report dead manatees or a manatee wearing a "tag" or tracking device.

How to Get Help for Manatees

Florida:

Call 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or use VHF Channel 16 on your marine radio. You can also download the free FWC Reporter app on your smartphone or tablet.

Maryland, North Carolina, or any eastern state north of Florida:

Click the following link to get information on how to report manatees to your local wildlife officials.

Alabama and Mississippi:

Call Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Manatee Sighting Network at 1-866-493-5803.

Louisiana:

Call the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at 1-800-442-2511.

Texas:

Call the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 1-800-9-MAMMAL (800-962-6625).

Please give dispatchers the exact location of the manatee.

If the manatee appears injured, please call right away. If injuries are not obvious, but you still suspect the manatee may be injured, try to determine the number of times the manatee surfaces to breathe during a five minute period before calling. Since manatees can stay submerged for up to 15 minutes at a time, frequent surfacing could be indicative of an injury. Please call:

If you see a manatee with a pink or red wound or with deep cuts. This means the wound is fresh.

If you see a manatee with grayish-white or white wounds, this likely means the wound has healed. But the manatee can still have internal injuries, so continue to observe the animal for any of the other characteristics listed here.

If the manatee is tilting to one side, unable to submerge, seems to have trouble breathing, or is acting strangely.

If you observe a manatee calf by itself with no adults around for an extended period of time. Manatee calves may remain dependent on their mothers for up to two years. If the mother dies before the calf is weaned, there is a strong likelihood the calf will not survive alone.

If you see anyone harassing a manatee.

If you see boaters speeding in a protected area.

If you see a manatee who has become entangled in monofilament line, crabtrap lines, or other debris. Do not attempt to remove debris by yourself. Debris may be embedded underneath the skin and only a trained veterinarian can adequately assess and repair the damage.

If you see a dead manatee. By doing a necropsy, scientists can sometimes determine the cause of death and better understand the dangers to manatees.

If you see a manatee tagged with a radio or satellite transmitter. Sightings of tagged manatees help provide researchers with information that can be used to protect manatees and their habitat. However, do not attempt to remove the transmitter. It is designed to come off if it becomes entangled, so the animal won't be trapped.

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West Indian manatees are large, gray aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They have two forelimbs, called flippers, with three to four nails on each flipper. Their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. The manatee's closest relatives are the elephant and the hyrax (a small, gopher-sized mammal).

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