There are two subspecies of  the West Indian manatee, the Trichechus manatus latirostris and the  Trichechus manatus manatus. 

This endangered animal lives in tropical or  subtropical waters. Different manatees live all around the world, some  Peninsular Florida, Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, the Amazon,  Peru, and other places.

The manatee is a large animal; an average adult can weigh from 800 to  1200 lbs. Individuals have been known to weigh up to 3500 lbs. Females are  generally larger. 

Manatees are grayish-brown. They have a large paddle-like  tail that moves in an up-and-down motion. Manatees also have spars hair  scattered over their torso. 

The maximum life span of a manatee is about 50  to 60 years old.  All manatees are herbivores. They feed on a wide variety of submerged,  emergent, floating, and shoreline vegetation. Manatees in Florida feed on  over 60 different species of plants. These include turtle grass, manatee  grass, shoal grass, water hyacinth, and various algae. Some manatees have  been known to eat fish from nets also. 

Mature females give birth to a single calf once every two to five years,  but they do occasionally deliver twins. 

There are several things that cause the death of a manatee, they are,  human related causes, natural cause, boating accidents, floodgates, poaching  and vandalism, and accidental entanglement. During the colder months of the year manatees migrate to warmer waters.  

On the Atlantic coast, manatees head south of the Sebastian River. Power  plant outflows and other warm water discharges are important winter  destinations for manatee also. 

All species of manatees are protected to some extent by national or local  acts in every country they occupy. Federal and State laws have been passed  that protect Florida manatees. 

Written by: Meghan (grade 9)

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