🐋
🏷️
Classification
Mammal
🍽️
Diet
Herbivore
⏱️
Lifespan
40–60 years
⚖️
Weight
400–600 kg
Population Trend
📉Decreasing
Description
A gentle, slow-moving marine mammal also known as the sea cow, found in Florida's warm coastal waters.
Habitat
🌿 coastal waters🌿 rivers🌿 estuaries🌿 springs
Extended Data
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Sirenia
Family
Trichechidae
Genus
Trichechus
Fun Facts
1
Often called 'sea cows' because they graze on seagrass like bovines on grass.
2
They have no natural predators — their main threat is boat propellers.
3
Can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes while resting.
4
A single adult can eat up to 50 kg of seagrass per day.
5
Florida manatee population has rebounded to over 13,000, leading to downlisting from endangered.