Manatees are large slow-moving aquatic mammals distantly related to elephants. Florida manatees make their home in the state’s warm coastal waters and avoid waters less than 68 degrees. These gentle giants are also referred to as “sea cows” and are Florida’s State Marine mammals. In the warmer weather, some manatees choose to migrate as far west as Louisiana, while others often take up their summer residence as far north as the Carolinas.
Manatees are greyish-brown in color. Their thick wrinkled skin is often covered with algae. Their body length ranges from 10 to 12 feet, and they weigh between 1,500 and 1,800 pounds. Since one of their main under water activities is chowing down, these amazing animals breathe only through their nostrils. They use their front flippers for steering, and also to help them crawl through shallow waters. Manatees are herbivores, and dine on marine and fresh water plants.
These are very playful and social animals who often enjoy body surfing and barrel rolling. They communicate their emotions, such as fear, stress and excitement, by squealing under water. Manatee mothers are extremely bonded with their offspring, nursing them for one to two years. Their gestation period is a year, and calves are born under water. At birth, manatee babies weigh-in between 60 and 70 pounds, and measure three to four feet in length. Read the full article