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Caribbean manatee
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An adult manatee swims underwater beside a smaller baby manatee in clear, shallow water above a sandy ocean floor. Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) Illustration of a West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) shown from side and top views, with a faint scuba diver silhouette for scale and a bar indicating the average length of 3 meters or 10 feet. World map showing the geographic ranges of the four living species of the order Sirenia: the West Indian manatee (highlighted in yellow along the southeastern US, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and northeast South America), the Amazonian manatee (in green within the Amazon River basin), the African manatee (in pink along the west coast and rivers of West and Central Africa), and the dugong (in purple along coastal waters from East Africa through the Indian Ocean to northern Australia and parts of So
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Caribbean manatee

mammal
Also known as: Trichechus manatus, West Indian manatee
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An adult manatee swims underwater beside a smaller baby manatee in clear, shallow water above a sandy ocean floor.
manatee Two manatees swimming in clear waters of Florida, U.S.

The Caribbean manatee, also known as the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), is a large, slow-moving aquatic mammal found along the tropical and subtropical coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and in associated inland waters. These marine mammals are characterized by their stout, tapered bodies, paddle-like flippers, and a flat, rounded tail used for propulsion. They are herbivores, primarily feeding on aquatic plants, and possess unique adaptations for processing this low-energy diet, including continuously growing molars.

There are three species of manatees: the West Indian manatee (which includes the Florida manatee subspecies), the Amazonian manatee, and the West African manatee. All three species are classified as Vulnerable. Manatees face significant threats from human activities, including boat collisions and habitat degradation, which impact their slow reproductive rates. Conservation efforts are in place to protect these gentle giants.12

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. manatee
  2. Manatee Awareness Month

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