Florida Manatees Habitat

The Florida manatee is a marine mammal. Like its land relative, the elephant, it is considered to be gentle. On average they grow to be 10 to 12 feet in length and weigh 1,500 to 2,000 pounds. In the wild they live to be 50 to 60 years old. The biggest manatee population is in Florida, numbering 3,000. They communicate under water with squealing sounds. Scientists believe they express stress, excitement and fear with these unique sounds.

  1. Habitat

    • The Florida manatee makes its home in both freshwater and saltwater. However, it needs access to saltwater regularly. They have been observed in shallow warm waters of estuaries, bays, rivers and coastal waters.

    Migratory Habitats

    • During the winter they inhabit Florida's coastal waters. Some manatees migrate. They travel north up to the Carolinas. In the summer they travel west to Louisiana. One manatee was observed to travel all the way to New York, and another swam up the Mississippi River. They prefer water temperatures over 68 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely venture into colder water.

    Food Source

    • Manatees eat frequently. According to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, every day a manatee eats close to 7.5 percent of its own body weight. They spend approximately one third of their life feeding. Manatees eat marine and freshwater plants.

    Unusual Adaptations

    • The manatee is truly a unique mammal. There is no other herbivorous mammal with special adaptations to live only in the water. It has flexible forelimbs, like paddles, that it uses for swimming and to move food towards its mouth. It uses its tail to propel its body forward under water. Like other marine mammals it has a streamlined body, but this creature swims slowly, about three to five miles an hour.

    Threats to the Florida Manatee

    • The Florida manatee has no natural predator that threatens its survival. However, there are many man-made threats to its existence. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, every year there are 87 premature manatee deaths caused by boat collisions. The Fish and Wildlife Service estimates the approximate number of manatee deaths that will allow the species to recover from its endangered status. The amount of deaths caused by boat collisions alone surpasses this by seven times. Urban development also infringes upon their natural habitat and places a strain on their food source.

    An Endangered Species

    • Protecting the Florida Manatee

      The manatee has been listed as an endangered species since 1973. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission revised the manatee protection zones in Florida in 2009 in order to provide greater protection for Florida manatees.