Manatee

Manatee facts at a glance

How big is a manatee?

An adult manatee measures 3 m long — about 1.7× the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 500 kg, about 7.1× an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of manatees called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

Gentle plant-eating giants

Manatees are among the only fully aquatic herbivorous mammals. A single adult can eat a tenth of its body weight in seagrass and water plants every day, grazing for up to eight hours. They have no natural predators and spend their time slowly cruising warm shallows, surfacing every few minutes to breathe.

Built for warm water

Despite their bulk, manatees have very little body fat and a slow metabolism, so they cannot survive long in water below about 20°C (68°F). In winter, Florida manatees gather in the hundreds around warm natural springs and the outflows of power plants, where the water stays warm enough to keep them alive.

Surprisingly close to elephants

Manatees are not related to whales or seals. Their closest living relatives are elephants, with which they share traits such as continually replaced molar teeth and thick, sparse body hair. The group that includes manatees and the dugong is called the Sirenia, the likely origin of old sailors' mermaid legends.

Habitat and range

The West Indian manatee lives along the Atlantic coast from the southeastern United States through the Caribbean to northern Brazil. It moves freely between salt, brackish, and fresh water, following warm temperatures and the seagrass beds it depends on for food.

Conservation

Manatees are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Their greatest threats are collisions with boats — many wild manatees carry scars from propellers — along with loss of seagrass, cold-water stress, and entanglement. Speed-limit zones, habitat protection, and rescue-and-release programs are central to their recovery.

Did you know? Manatee facts

• Manatees are gentle, slow-moving marine mammals often called 'sea cows'.
• Their closest living relatives are elephants, not other marine mammals.
• They graze on seagrass and can eat a tenth of their body weight daily.
• Manatees continually replace their teeth, growing new ones from the back.
• They surface to breathe every few minutes and rest underwater between breaths.
• Boat strikes are a leading threat to manatee survival.

Diet & feeding

Manatees are herbivores grazing on seagrasses, freshwater plants, and algae, consuming large quantities daily to fuel their bulk on a low-energy diet.

Adaptations

• Continuously replaced 'marching molars' cope with abrasive aquatic plants.
• A large, slow metabolism and heavy bones suit a grazing, shallow-water life.
• Paddle-like flippers and a flattened tail provide gentle propulsion.
• Sensitive facial bristles (vibrissae) help locate and handle vegetation.

Behaviour & ecology

• Manatees are mostly solitary or form loose groups, spending much of the day feeding.
• They move into warm-water refuges, such as springs, in cold weather.
• They surface regularly to breathe, often resting just below the surface.
• Mothers nurse and guide a single calf for up to two years.

Communication

• Manatees produce squeaks and chirps to maintain contact, especially mother and calf.
• Sensitive whiskers gather tactile information about their surroundings.
• Touch and close-range sound dominate their gentle social life.

Habitat & range

Manatees inhabit warm coastal waters, estuaries, rivers, and springs of the Atlantic and Caribbean (and related species elsewhere), needing warm water and abundant aquatic vegetation.

Ecological role

As large aquatic grazers, manatees shape seagrass beds and freshwater vegetation, influencing the structure of the shallow-water habitats they occupy.

Conservation status of the Manatee

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Manatee:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Vulnerable) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Trichechus manatus.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Trichechus manatus. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Trichechus manatus. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• Deutsch, C. J. et al. (2008). Trichechus manatus. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

  Status (Vulnerable) and threats.

• Animal Diversity Web — Trichechus manatus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World (6th ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.

  Physiology and diet.

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.