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The West Indian Manatee's scientific name is Trichecus Manatus. They belong in the Trichechidae family. Their life span is around 30 years.

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These animals tend to be grey in color with vegetation on their back. They have flippers and a dolphin like tail. They weigh in between 440 to 1,320 pounds with females being larger. They can be as long as 8.9 to 11.5 ft long. They communicate via squeaks.

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They are large, have decent underwater breathing properties, their young are large, and can hear very well.

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Manatees suffer from habitat loss, climate change, boat collisions, and fishing net tangles. Sudden cold snaps can kill manatees.

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Manatees have no natural predators.  However, they eat a lot of underwater plants which prevents overpopulation.

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Encyclopedia Britannica 2010

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manatee, (genus Trichechus), any of three species of large slow aquatic mammals found along tropical and subtropical Atlantic coasts and associated inland waters, including the watersheds of the Amazon and Niger rivers. Dull gray, blackish, or brown in colour, all three manatee species have stout tapered bodies ending in a flat rounded tail used for forward propulsion. The forelimbs are modified into flippers; there are no hind limbs.

The Florida manatee ( Trichechus manatus latirostris), which is also found seasonally in the waters of nearby states, is one subspecies of the West Indian manatee ( T. manatus). The other subspecies lives in nearshore waters, lagoons, estuaries, and rivers of eastern Mexico, down the Central American coast, and across northern South America. It also occurs around the Greater Antilles islands of the Caribbean-hence its common name, the Antillean manatee ( T. manatus manatus).

The Amazonian manatee ( T. inunguis) inhabits the Amazon River and associated drainage areas, including seasonally inundated forests. This species lives only in fresh water and can be found far inland through Brazil to Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. The West African manatee ( T. senegalensis), found in coastal areas and slow-moving rivers from Senegal to Angola, also ranges far inland in some rivers.

Form and function

Florida manatees generally grow to around 3 metres (10 feet) but range in length from about 2.5 to 3.9 metres (8 to 13 feet) and weigh up to 1,655 kg (3,650 pounds). The Antillean subspecies is very similar but is distinguishable from the Florida manatee by measurement differences of cranial characters between the species. West African manatees closely resemble West Indian manatees and are similar in size. Amazonian manatees are smaller, reaching a length of 2.8 metres (9.2 feet) and a weight of 480 kg (1,056 pounds), and, unlike the other two species, they are darker gray in colour, commonly have a white patch on the chest, and lack nails on the flippers. The flippers are used by all species for swimming, turning, bottom walking, and manipulating food.

Manatees are uniquely adapted for eating aquatic plants. The manatee's large lips are prehensile and studded with specialized sensory bristles and hairs ( vibrissae) for discriminating between and manipulating food plants. Compared with the fish and krill eaten by other marine mammals, most aquatic plants are low in energy value and protein. Manatees must therefore eat large amounts of this bulky, low-energy food to satisfy their dietary requirements. To handle such a diet, manatees are hindgut digesters (like horses) and have intestines as long as 30 metres (100 feet). The teeth have also evolved in response to dietary demands. To counter abrasion from ingested sand and silica, manatees constantly grow new molars. These teeth progress from the rear of the jaws forward as older, worn teeth drop out at the front of the mouth. Unlike almost all other mammals, tooth replacement occurs throughout life.

All three species ( T. inunguis, T. manatus, and T. senegalensis) are classified as Vulnerable Species.

The lungs are oriented parallel to the water's surface, and the ribs lack marrow, which makes them unusually dense and heavy. These traits, along with the manatee's ability to control the volume of small air spaces in the lungs, permit the animal to maintain a horizontal orientation anywhere in the water from the bottom to the surface. Manatees can remain submerged for up to 20 minutes. With each breath they replenish about 90 percent of the air in the lungs. ( Humans, by contrast, replenish only about 10 percent.) This set of diverse adaptations enables foraging on a variety of plant forms, including submerged sea grasses, floating plants, mangrove leaves, and grasses along banks.

Manatees have unusually low metabolic rates, which probably makes possible their long fasting periods and subsistence on low-energy food. Although they can deposit large stores of fat, manatees' capacity to generate and retain body heat in cool water is poor. The brain is very small in comparison with those of other mammals of similar body size. Although the cerebrum lacks marked convolutions, the proportion of the brain devoted to higher functions is comparable to that of primates.

Natural history

Manatees are active day and night and can sleep submerged or while breathing at the water's surface. They are primarily solitary but form small transient groups for periods of hours or days. Aggregations of up to 20 males may form mating herds centred on a receptive female; other temporary aggregations may form at feeding areas, freshwater seeps, or warm water sources. During extreme cold spells in Florida, aggregations of 300 or more have been observed in the warm water outflows of power plants. Many Florida manatees also migrate southward during winter. Amazonian manatees migrate in response to water-level fluctuations associated with rainy and dry seasons. When surrounding waters recede, they can become isolated in pools but are able to fast for up to seven months in these situations by slowly metabolizing stored fat. Manatees, particularly mothers and calves, communicate by sound, producing faint underwater chirps, squeaks, and grunts. Manatees also engage in tactile contact ( touch reception) by using sensory hairs scattered across the body, especially the hairs and bristles of the muzzle.

The Florida manatee is a symbol for conservation and an extremely popular animal with the public. Some wild manatees become accustomed to humans and will swim among snorkelers and anchored boats, seeking to be rubbed and scratched. Tourists and residents alike seek encounters with manatees in the wild or visit zoos and aquaria to view captives. Florida manatees have been the subject of much research, and most information on manatees is based on studies of this subspecies, but all manatees probably share many aspects of natural history. Beyond their ecotourism appeal, manatees have been used to control aquatic weeds in parts of their range, but in Florida this is no longer considered feasible because of the fast rate of plant growth in comparison with the number of manatees required for consuming them.

Manatees are long-lived and reproduce slowly. Age estimates based on growth rings in ear bones indicate life spans of up to 59 years, and at least one manatee has survived more than 69 years in captivity. Females produce one calf every two to three years, with twins occurring rarely. Although they begin eating plants when very young, calves accompany mothers for up to two years, nursing from teats located at the base of the flippers. Sexual maturity occurs as young as three years, with gestation taking about a year or slightly longer. In Florida, reproduction occurs year-round, with seasonal birth and mating peaks in spring and lows in winter.

Conservation status

The manatee life cycle has important implications for the conservation of their populations. Records of predation on manatees are extremely rare, and the greatest source of mortality worldwide is humans. Although manatees are protected by law throughout their range, their numbers have diminished because their reproductive rates cannot keep pace with losses from hunting, drowning in fishing nets, and habitat degradation. In Florida, accidental collisions with motorboats and crushing in canal gates have replaced hunting as a major cause of death, some studies estimating that 25-35 percent of all Florida manatee deaths come from collisions with watercraft. All three species of manatees have been listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since the 1980s. The Amazon and West African manatee populations are estimated at 8,000-30,000 adults and 10,000 adults, respectively. The adult population of Antillean manatees is likely fewer than 2,500 individuals, and the number of adult Florida manatees is thought to be approximately 2,300.

Evolution and paleontology

Manatees are the only living members of the family Trichechidae, which is related to the dugong family, Dugongidae. Both families belong to the order Sirenia, whose closest living relatives are elephants of the order Proboscidea. The fossil ancestors of modern manatees lived during the Miocene Epoch (23 million to 5.3 million years ago), when South America was isolated and the uplifting of the Andes Mountains caused a flourishing of aquatic vegetation, including grasses. The abrasiveness of these plants provided selection forces favouring the unusual manatee tooth-replacement pattern. About one million years ago, their superior teeth probably made it possible for them to prevent ancient members of the dugong family from becoming established in the Atlantic.

Today's West Indian manatee has changed little compared with its ancestors of the past few million years. The West African manatee is also similar to the ancestral forms and may have dispersed from South America to Africa via transoceanic currents. Amazonian manatees appear to be descendants of Miocene trichechids isolated in a closed interior basin of South America.
Thomas O'Shea

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Manatee, any of three species of large slow aquatic mammals found along tropical and subtropical Atlantic coasts and associated inland waters, including the watersheds of the Amazon and Niger rivers. Dull gray, blackish, or brown in color, all three species have stout tapered bodies ending in a flat rounded tail.

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U.S. Wildlife & Fishing Services Jane Cooke USFWS

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Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Trichechus manatus

Taxon: Mammal

Range: Throughout the Caribbean basin, including the southeastern United States, eastern Mexico, eastern Central America, northeastern South America, and the Greater Antilles

Status: Threatened

The West Indian manatee is a large, aquatic mammal. There are two subspecies of West Indian manatees: the Antillean manatee ( Trichechus manatus manatus), and the Florida manatee ( Trichechus manatus latirostris). Due to their eating habits, manatees are nicknamed "sea cows" because they eat seagrasses and other aquatic plants.

Manatees are protected under the Endangered Species Act and under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Today, the range-wide population is estimated to be at least 13,000 manatees, with more than 6,500 in the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico. When aerial surveys began in 1991, there were an estimated 1,267 manatees in Florida. Today there are more than 6,300 in Florida, representing a significant increase over the past 25 years. Learn more about the manatee's road to recovery.

Appearance

Manatees are large, elongated marine mammals with paired flippers and a large, spoon-shaped tail. They can reach lengths of over 14 feet and weights of over 3,000 pounds. Manatees are typically greyish brown in color. They have sparse hairs spread across their bodies, with bristles about the muzzle.

A Florida manatee "strikes a pose" with its aquatic neighbors at Three Sisters Springs in Citrus County, FL: part of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Photo: Keith Ramos, USFWS.

Habitat

Manatees live in marine, brackish, and freshwater systems in coastal and riverine areas throughout their range. Preferred habitats include areas near the shore featuring underwater vegetation like seagrass and eelgrass. They feed along grass bed margins with access to deep water channels, where they flee when threatened. Florida manatees can be found throughout Florida for most of the year. However, they cannot tolerate temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit for extended periods of time, and during the winter months these cold temperatures keep the population concentrated in peninsular Florida. Many manatees rely on the warm water from natural springs and power plant outfalls.

During the summer manatees expand their range, and on rare occasions are seen as far north as Massachusetts on the Atlantic coast and as far west as Texas on the Gulf coast. Manatees may travel hundreds of miles during a year's time, preferring to travel along channels and shorelines.

Diet

Manatees feed on plants. They prefer submergent vegetation, such as turtle and manatee grass, and will feed on floating and emergent plants as well. Manatees also require freshwater for drinking.

Historical range

Historically, West Indian manatees were found along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, throughout the Caribbean, and as far south as Brazil's Atlantic coastline. However, due to hunting, habitat fragmentation and loss, and other factors, manatees have disappeared from various parts of their range. For example, manatee hunts were common until the early 1900s, and as a result the species is no longer found in Guadeloupe and other islands in the Lesser Antilles.

Current range

Today manatees are found in the southeastern U.S., eastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panamá, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and in the Bahamas.

Map of the West Indian manatee's range. Jane Cooke, USFWS.

Where can I see manatees?

In the U.S, good places to see manatees include Blue Spring State Park (Florida), the Haulover Canal Manatee Viewing Area (Florida), and Three Sisters Springs (Florida). When viewing manatees in Kings Bay, please demonstrate your " Manatee Manners."

For other places to view manatees visit myfwc.com/education/wildlife/manatee/where-to-see. Before you encounter a manatee be sure to brush up on the FWC's viewing guidelines to ensure the safety of both yourself and the manatees.

Manatee protection areas

A manatee protection zone sign, photo by Jim Valade, USFWS.

Within the U.S., the most significant causes of death and injury for manatees are watercraft collisions. To reduce the effect of collisions on manatees, boat operators are required to slow down and or avoid regulated areas commonly used by manatees. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and others designate, mark, and enforce manatee protection areas.

Federal Manatee Protection Areas

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Protection Zones

Wildlife Refuges that provide habitat

Recovery plans

Following extensive review of the threats the manatee faces as well as the conservation actions currently in place to help recover it, the Service reclassified the species as threatened on March 30, 2017.

Florida manatees

Actions needed for recovery

Minimize causes of manatee disturbance, harassment, injury and mortality

Determine and monitor the status of the manatee population.

Protect, identify, evaluate, and monitor manatee habitats.

Facilitate manatee recovery through public awareness and education.

View the Recovery Plan
Antillean manatees in Puerto Rico

Actions needed for recovery

Identify, assess and reduce human-related manatee mortality.

Identify and minimize alteration, degradation, and destruction of habitats important to the survival and recovery of the Puerto Rico manatee population.

Develop the criteria and biological information necessary to determine whether and, if so, when to reclassify the Puerto Rico population of manatees.

United Nations Environment Program Regional Management Plan for the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)
Conservation challenges

Primary threats to the West Indian manatee include habitat loss and fragmentation, entanglements in fishing gear, collisions with boats, and others.

The most significant problems presently faced by Florida manatees is the loss of warm water habitat, and death and injury from boat strikes. Natural threats can include harmful algal blooms, cold weather, tropical storms and hurricanes, tidal entrapments, and disease.

Partnerships, research and projects

Whether capturing manatees for health checks, research purposes or rescuing stranded/distressed animals, doing so is a challenging effort requiring a dedicated team of public and private manatee conservation partners.

We work with federal, state, academic and non-profit organizations across the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico to conserve manatees. Outside the U.S., there are many countries and organizations working to conserve manatees.

A US Geological Survey-led team captures a manatee for a health checkup. Team members include the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the University of Florida, Lowry Park Zoo, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and others. Photo: Jim Valade, USFWS.

USGS Manatee Sirenia Project Conducts long-term, detailed studies on the life history, population dynamics, and ecological requirements of the West Indian manatee. Sirenia Project biologists work cooperatively with federal and state researchers and managers on research identified as essential for the recovery of the species.

Monofilament Recovery & Recycling Program An effort across the state of Florida to educate the public on the problems caused by monofilament line left in the environment, to encourage recycling through a network of line recycling bins and drop-off locations, and to conduct volunteer monofilament line cleanup events.

Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership The MRP is a cooperative group of non-profit, private, state, and federal entities with a stake in tracking the post-release fate of rehabilitated manatees in the wild. The goal of the manatee rescue and rehabilitation program is to treat sick and injured manatees and release them back into the wild.

Sea to Shore Alliance A member of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership, Sea to Shore is responsible for tracking and monitoring rescued and rehabilitated animals to ensure that it is properly adjusting to life in the wild.

How you can help

Be mindful of manatees while boating

This is one of the most important things you can do to help manatees. Boaters should obey posted manatee protection area restrictions. When you travel slowly through these areas, you give manatees a chance to safely get out of your way. In addition, when you travel slowly, they're easier to see. Watching manatees has become a national pastime - enjoy! (You will improve your ability to see manatees if you wear sunglasses with brown, polarized lenses.)

For more tips, read the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission's (FWC) Boat, PWC, & Paddle-sport Operators Information, and bring it with you on your next trip.

Help keep wild creatures wild

It is best for humans to minimize interactions with manatees. You should never initiate contact with a manatee. Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge has produced a series of videos called "Manatee Manners" that provides tips on how swimmers, boaters, photographers and paddlers at the refuge should behave when sharing waters with manatees. View Manatee Manners online.

Subject matter experts

There are many agencies and organizations with people who can talk to you about manatees. You may want to contact:

Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (Puerto Rico): (787) 999-2200

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: (850) 922-4330

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Florida Ecological Services Office: (904) 731-3332

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office: (787) 851-7297

Designated critical habitat

Critical Habitat for the Florida manatee, Jane Cooke, USFWS

Critical habitat for the West Indian manatee was described in 1976 in 50 CFR 17.95 and only identifies areas in Florida. Critical habitat includes:

Crystal River and its headwaters known as King's Bay, Citrus County; the Little Manatee River downstream from the U.S. Highway 301 bridge, Hillsborough County; the Manatee River downstream from the Lake Manatee Dam, Manatee County; the Myakka River downstream from Myakka River State Park, Sarasota and Charlotte Counties; the Peace River downstream from the Florida State Highway 760 bridge, De Soto and Charlotte Counties; Charlotte Harbor north of the Charlotte-Lee County line, Charlotte County; Caloosahatchee River downstream from the Florida State Highway 31 bridge, Lee County; all U.S. territorial waters adjoining the coast and islands of Lee County; all U.S. territorial waters adjoining the coast and islands and all connected bays, estuaries , and rivers from Gordon"s Pass, near Naples, Collier County, southward to and including Whitewater Bay, Monroe County; all waters of Card, Barnes, Blackwater, Little Blackwater, Manatee, and Buttonwood Sounds between Key Largo, Monroe County, and the mainland of Dade County; Biscayne Bay, and all adjoining and connected lakes, rivers, canals, and waterways from the southern tip of Key Biscayne northward to and including Maule Lake, Dade County; all of Lake Worth, from its northernmost point immediately south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 1 and Florida State Highway A1A southward to its southernmost point immediately north of the town of Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County; the Loxahatchee River and its headwaters, Martin and West Palm Beach Counties; that section of the intracoastal waterway from the town of Seawalls Point, Martin County to Jupiter Inlet, Palm Beach County; the entire inland section of water known as the Indian River, from its northernmost point immediately south of the intersection of U.S. Highway I and Florida State Highway 3, Volusia County, southward to its southernmost point near the town of Sewalls Point, Martin County, and the entire inland section of water known as the Banana River and all waterways between Indian and Banana Rivers, Brevard County; the St. Johns River including Lake George, and including Blue Springs and Silver Glen Springs from their points of origin to their confluences with the St. Johns River; that section of the Intracoastal Waterway from its confluences with the St. Marys River on the Georgia-Florida border to the Florida State Highway A1A bridge south of Coastal City, Nassau and Duval Counties.

Petition for critical habitat revision

In 2008, the Service was petitioned to revise critical habitat for this species. In 2010, we found that a revision was warranted but precluded due to other priorities.

Historic news

July 2, 2014 Service announces 90-day petition finding for West Indian manatee, to move forward with status review

March 11, 2013 Federal and State Officials say red tide killing manatees

Service Improves Manatee Protection in King's Bay

June 21, 2011 Federal proposal would broaden manatee protections in Crystal River

November 5, 2010 Service broadens Florida manatee protections in Kings Bay located in Citrus County, Florida

February 19, 2010 Service urges boaters to be alert as manatee movements increase with warmer weather

January 12, 2010 Service announces 12-month Finding on Petition to Revise Florida Manatee Critical Habitat

December 18, 2009 FWS and FDEP will defer release of manatees at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park until 2011

September 29, 2009 Federal Finding Means Florida Manatee Critical Habitat Designation Merits Further Review

June 22, 2009 Manatee Zone enforcement slated for Brevard County over the July 4th Weekend

April 9, 2007 Service Announces Availability of West Indian Manatee Five-Year Review

March 23, 2007 Valade selected as a Service 2006 National Recovery Champion

March 12, 2007 Federal and State Wildlife Agencies Address Manatee-Human Interactions in Citrus County

June 16, 2006 Conservation Agencies Encourage Boaters to Self-Report Collisions with Manatees

March 24, 2006 USFWS announces reopening of comment period and expansion of its West Indian manatee ESA 5-Year Status Review

April 28, 2005 USFWS announces amendment to portion of Lower St. Johns River Manatee Protection Area

April 14, 2005 USFWS seeks Public Input for Manatee 5-year review

July 7, 2004 USFWS withdraws its Federal designation at two manatee protection areas (refuges) in Florida

April 7, 2004 Emergency Designation of an Additional Federal Manatee Protection Area in Lee County

October 21, 2003 USFWS announces Proposed Withdrawal of Two Federally-designated manatee protection areas (refuges)

August 1, 2003 USFWS announces final designation of three Federal manatee protection areas (refuges) in five Florida counties

May 5, 2003 USFWS announces withdrawal of Proposed manatee MMPA Incidental Take Regulations

April 4, 2003 USFWS announces availability of Final EIS for manatee MMPA rulemaking

April 1, 2003 USFWS proposes three additional federal manatee protection areas in five Florida counties

January 24, 2003 USFWS reaches agreement to increase protections for Florida manatee

Manatee Lawsuit Archive

January 8, 2003 USFWS extends public comment period on proposed manatee MMPA regulations

November 6, 2002 Service Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Regulations for the Florida Manatee

November 1, 2002 Service statement on filing of manatee protection area regulations

November 1, 2002 Service Notice of request for input on additional measure to protect & recover Florida manatee

November 1, 2002 Service Finalizes Designation of manatee protection areas in eight Florida counties

September 16, 2002 Service extends emergency manatee protection to seven areas in three Florida counties

July 31, 2002 USFWS issues statement on today's U.S. District Court manatee settlement ruling

July 2, 2002 USFWS Law Enforcement focuses manatee protection area enforcement in Brevard County this summer weekend

June 14, 2002 USFWS Law Enforcement focuses manatee protection area enforcement in Sarasota County next weekend

June 10, 2002 USFWS Seeking Public Input on a Process to Conserve Florida Manatees

May 8, 2002 Enforcement of federal manatee protection areas in Brevard County to go into effect soon

April 16, 2002 USFWS Law Enforcement focuses manatee protection area enforcement in Brevard County this weekend

April 16, 2002 USFWS Announces Proposed Amendment to Barge Canal manatee protection area

January 2, 2002 FWS issues final decision on Federal manatee protection areas in Florida

October 30, 2001 Revised Manatee Recovery Plan Released

August 27, 2001 Public Hearing Schedule on Federal Manatee Protection Areas Announced

August 2, 2001 Proposed Rule on Federal Designation of Manatee Protection Areas Announced

July 10, 2001 Draft Florida Manatee Recovery Plan, Third Revision available for public review and comment

June 29, 2001 Proposed Designation of Federal Manatee Protection Areas postponed an additional 30 days

May 2, 2001 Parties Agree to 2nd Deadline Extension for Proposed Federal Manatee Protection Areas

April 20, 2001 USFWS Statement on FWCC manatee settlement decision

March 30, 2001 USFWS State Supervisor Statement on Fla. FWCC proposed Brevard County Manatee Rule

March 23, 2001 Parties Agree to Extend Deadline for Proposed Federal Manatee Protection Areas

March 13, 2001 Service considers special regulations for Florida manatee

March 1, 2001 Manatee recovery plan release postponed

January 4, 2001 Manatee lawsuit settled

January 2, 2001 Rescue planned for manatees

November 30, 2000 Manatee Revised Recovery Plan Availability

November 27, 2000 Manatee Refuges & Sanctuaries Public Workshops

Additional resources

Federal Register notices

The following Federal Register documents were automatically gathered by searching the Federal Register Official API with this species' scientific name ordered by relevance. You can conduct your own search on the Federal Register website.

We're sorry but an error occurred. Visit the Federal Register to conduct your own search.

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Taxon: Mammal Range: Throughout the Caribbean basin, including the southeastern United States, eastern Mexico, eastern Central America, northeastern South America, and the Greater Antilles Status: Threatened The West Indian manatee is a large, aquatic mammal. There are two subspecies of West Indian manatees: the Antillean manatee ( Trichechus manatus manatus), and the Florida manatee ( Trichechus manatus latirostris).

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Mark off sections of Manatee habitats to prevent fishing net entanglement and boat collision and to further prevent habitat loss. In the case of climate change, find more eco-friendly solutions to everyday problems

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Feeding habits- West-Indian Manatee.

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Feeding Habits: The West- Indian manatee is a herbivore. It spends about 5 hours a day eating. It eats aquatic plants like water hyacinth and hydrilla. They eat it by using its lips, bristles, and flippers to grab plants. Also an adult manatee would eat about 60-100 pounds. It's also very rare for manatee to die from hunger because all they eat are greens and there so much sea grass in the ocean, lakes, and rivers. So manatee mostly dies from boats and humans not from hunger.

Manatees eat 10% of their body weight everyday!

Manatee eating Hydrilla

Food Web:

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Feeding Habits - West-Indian Manatee HM 2014

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Feeding Habits: The West- Indian manatee is a herbivore. It spends about 5 hours a day eating. It eats aquatic plants like water hyacinth and hydrilla. They eat it by using its lips, bristles, and flippers to grab plants. Also an adult manatee would eat about 60-100 pounds.

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Where does the West Indian Manatee come from?

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Where does the West Indian Manatee come from?

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The West Indian Manatee originates from Brazil. They can also be found near the southeast of the U.S.