Species Name: West Indian Manatee Kingdom: Animalia Family: Trichechidae Phylum: Chordata Genus: Trichechus Class: Mammalia Species: mantus Order: Sirenia Description: Large, seal-like body that tapers to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. Two forelimbs with three or four nails on each. Skin thick and wrinkled with stiff whiskers on snout. Color, Size: Gray or gray-brown. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weights about 1000 pounds. Behavior: Gentle and slow moving. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and in travel. Often shy and reclusive. No system of defense and completely harmless. Sight: Depth perception may be limited. Can differentiate colors. Hearing: Can hear very well despite the absence of external ear lobes. Communication: Emit sounds that are within human auditory range. They make sounds such as squeaks and squeals when frightened, playing or communicating - particularly between a cow and its calf. Breathing: Nostrils on upper surface of snout which close tightly like valves when submerged. Surfaces to breathe every few minutes depending on amount of activity. Habitat: They can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals, and coastal areas, particularly where seagrass beds flourish. Range: Within the United States, they are concentrated in Florida during the winter, but can be found in summer months as far west as Louisiana and as far north as Virginia and the Carolinas. The West Indian manatee can also be found in the coastal and inland waterways of Central America and along the northern coast of South America, although distribution in these areas may be spotty. Food Source: Aquatic plants. Manatees are completely herbivorous and can eat 10-15% of their body weight daily. History: Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal, and share a common ancestor with the elephant. Related Species: West African manatee, Amazonian manatee, dugong, Steller's sea cow (extinct). Population: There are a minimum of 1,800 West Indian manatees left in the United States. Reproduction: The reproduction rate for manatees is slow. Females manatees are not sexually mature until five to nine years old, and males are mature at approximately nine years of age. It is believed that one calf is born every two to five years; twins are rare . The gestation period is approximately 13 months. Mothers nurse their young for a long period and a calf may remain dependent on its mother for up to two years. Problems: Human Related: Watercraft collisions, loss of habitat, crushing or drowning in flood gates, poaching, ingestion of fish hooks and monofilament line, entanglement in crab trap lines, pollution, litter, and vandalism. Natural: Cold related, red tide, disease. Conservation: Public acquisition and/or creation of sanctuaries in critical areas; research covering biology, mortality, behavior, habitat, and population; implementation of management plans; establishment of regulatory speed zones and the levying of fines for excess speeds in these designated areas; posting of regulatory speed signs in habitat areas; a MANATEE HOTLINE (1-888-404-FWCC) for reports of dead or injured animals or manatee harassment; manatee education and public awareness programs. Legal Protection: Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, 1978; U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act, 1972; U.S. Endangered Species Act, 1973. How You Can Help! Join Save the Manatee® Club. Membership includes a manatee adoption. Funds go toward public awareness, education, research, rescue and rehabilitation, and lobbying. Call 1-800-432-JOIN. Ask for the free information sheet "What You Can Do To Help Save Manatees."

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