Hands Down Animals · Printable fact sheet
Manatee
Trichechidae
Quick facts
| Scientific name | Trichechidae |
|---|---|
| Size | Typical adult: 2.7-3.5 m; maximum up to 4.6 m |
| Weight | Average 400-500 kg; maximum recorded up to 1620 kg |
| Lifespan | Average around 30 years, can live up to 60 years |
| Diet | Primarily aquatic plants such as seagrasses, water hyacinth, and various freshwater vegetation. |
| Habitat | Shallow coastal waters, Rivers, Lagoons |
| Where it lives | Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean coasts of southeastern United States… |
| IUCN status | Vulnerable |
| Population | 13,000 - 15,000 |
| Top speed | 8 km/h |
| Family | Trichechidae |
About the manatee
Manatees are slow, plant-eating marine mammals of warm coastal waters, rivers and springs: the West Indian manatee of Florida and the Caribbean, the Amazonian manatee of the Amazon basin and the African manatee of West Africa's coasts and rivers. An adult commonly weighs 400 to 550 kilograms and eats around a tenth of its body weight in seagrass and other plants each day, surfacing every few minutes to breathe. Boat strikes, cold snaps and habitat loss are the main threats, and all three species are listed as Vulnerable.
Five things to know
- Manatees, also called 'sea cows,' are large, slow-moving aquatic mammals.
- They are strictly herbivorous, feeding mainly on aquatic vegetation.
- All species are vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List.
- Manatees have no natural predators, but humans are their biggest threat.
- Florida manatees migrate with temperature changes, sometimes traveling hundreds of kilometers.
Homeschool unit: Ocean homeschool guide — An ocean unit on marine food webs, tides and conservation, with the manatee as a case study.