The American Manatee

The American Manatee (Trichechus manatus) is a water-dwelling mammal nicknamed "sea cow" because they graze on underwater plants like land cows. They belong to the Sirenia family, named after the Sirens of ancient myth. Manatees were often mistaken for mermaids by early sailors, and they are surrounded by history and legend.

The American Manatee is found most often in ocean waters off of the coast of southeastern North America, South America, and the Caribbean but is sometimes found in some rivers and natural lakes, able to live in either fresh or salt water. They are solitary animals, favoring small groups rather than large herds, and true bonds only form between mothers and their calves. The manatee will migrate during the winter to warmer waters as they can’t handle colder temperatures.

American Manatees are large, reaching the full adult size of 8-14 feet (2.5-4.5 meters) and weighing, on average, between 440 and 1300 pounds (200-600 kg). Their bodies are round with flippers set close to the head and a large, paddle-like tail. They are gray or black in color with a face that almost resembles a walrus with the split upper lip, covered with short hairs. Their bodies are also somewhat hairy, with rough skin that is rubbery and wrinkled.

Suiting the nickname of "sea cow," manatees continuously graze on underwater plants, taking in as much as 5 to 10 percent of their body weight and eating six to eight hours a day. They are herbivores, eating only plant material. The teeth are large and flat, designed for chewing leaves and grasses, and they are located only in the sides of the manatee‘s mouth.

Female manatees give birth to their young every two to five years, after a year of pregnancy. The young manatee is small at birth (around 60 pounds, or 30 kg) and will stay close to the mother for the first one or two years of life, nursing until they leave their mothers‘ side. American Manatees mate in groups, with sometimes up to 15 males competing for the attention of a single female. The female will reach sexual maturity in about three or four years and will sometimes have their first calf at four or five years old. The male manatee can take as long as ten years to reach maturity.

American Manatees really have no natural predators, but they are often injured by the propellers of motorized boats and other watercraft. Manatees that survive often have very distinctive scars from the propellers, and the scars are often used to track them in the wild.

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