Florida Manatee

The Florida manatee feeds on sea grasses, spending six to eight hours a day eating from 5% to 10% of their body weight.

At the Zoo, manatees mainly eat romaine lettuce and endive. They receive other fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes and apples as enrichment.

Concentrated around Florida in the winter, this subspecies will migrate as far north as Virginia and as far west as Louisiana in the summer.

Florida manatees are commonly found in shallow coastal areas, as well as shallow rivers, estuaries, and canals. They prefer water levels of three to six and a half feet in depth, travel in water that 10 to 16.5 feet deep, and avoid areas deeper than 20 feet.

They live in salt, brackish (a mixture of fresh and saltwater), and freshwater. This ability to withstand large changes in salinity (amount of salt dissolved in water) allows manatees to move between freshwater and marine habitats.

Manatees have no natural predators, but human activities have significantly harmed their population. Since manatees live in the same coastal areas and rivers where people often spend time, they are particularly at risk of human impacts.

One major threat to manatees is boat propeller strikes, which frequently injure or kill these slow-moving creatures. Additionally, entanglement in or ingestion of fishing gear can result in severe external and internal injuries. Sometimes, manatees become stranded in canals or water-control structures when locks or barriers are closed. Human development often destroys manatees' habitats for feeding and shelter during winter.

Environmental factors, like prolonged exposure to cold water and hurricanes, also threaten manatee populations. "Red tide" algal blooms create harmful neurotoxins that can affect manatees through ingestion or inhalation, leading to drowning and less seagrass growth. Climate change is making many of these environmental problems worse.

Manatees have large, rounded bodies, front (pectoral) flippers, and broad tails. They swim by moving their paddle-like tails up and down to push themselves forward in the water. The front flippers, which have three or four nails, help them steer, push off the sea floor, and hold onto objects. They maneuver easily in the water, able to swim somersaults, roll, and swim upside down.

Their skin is gray or brown and covered with coarse hairs, with more bristles around their snouts and lips. These sensitive hairs help manatees feel their surroundings and locate food. Their snouts are angled downward, allowing them to graze on aquatic plants while floating.

Eating such a large amount of tough plants causes teeth to wear quickly, so manatees have special teeth called "marching molars." These molar-like teeth are continuously replaced throughout their lives and are found in the back of their jaws. Unlike most mammals, whose teeth are replaced vertically, manatees have a unique horizontal replacement for their teeth.

Manatee ribs and other long bones are dense, contributing to a relatively heavy skeleton. Their lungs are flattened and extend along much of their body, helping them control their buoyancy in the water.

Manatees also have good eyesight and possess a special eyelid called a nictitating membrane that protects their eyes underwater. They can see colors and patterns well and have sharp hearing, even though they do not have external ears like other animals.

During the breeding season, large herds form for mating. Bulls (males) establish dominance to secure mating opportunities. Males mature between seven and nine years old, while females mature between five and nine.

After a gestation period of 12 to 14 months, a single calf is usually born, although twins can occur. At birth, the calf typically weighs between 60 and 80 pounds and measures about four feet long. They nurse underwater from teats located behind the mom's front flippers. Calves are born with teeth and can start eating plants within the first three weeks after birth. The mother (cow) and calf stay together for up to two years.

Manatees emit sounds within the human auditory range, such as squeaks and squeals, particularly between cows and calves.

They also use touch to communicate, like bumping into and placing their snouts on one another.

Manatees are generally solitary and are not territorial. They can form temporary groups in areas with ideal water temperature and abundant food but do not observe any social hierarchy.

Manatees can be active day and night. They rest periodically for several hours at a time near the surface or bottom. They must come to the surface to breathe every three to five minutes while active and every 20 minutes when at rest.