Endangered Animals at a Glance

manatee

The Manatee

by Christian R.

Manatees are gentle and slow-moving animals. They are large, gray mammals who live in water. Their bodies have a flat, paddle-shaped tail and flipper for forearms. Their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds.

Manatees migrate within the United States. In the winter, they live in Florida and in summer months they can be found in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Their diet consists of a large variety of submerged and floating plants. Because they are mammals, they must surface to breathe air every three to five minutes. Manatees have no natural enemies, and it is believed they can live 60 years or more. One calf is born every two to five years and that calf stays with its mother for up to two years.

A high number of fatalities are from humans such as accidents with boats or being caught in fishing nets. And because of conservation efforts in the U.S., manatees are protected under federal law and violators of the law will receive fines and/or prison time.