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Florida Fauna & Flora – Florida Manatee

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Florida Manatee

 

One animal that is uniquely Floridian is the manatee. Florida manatees are native to Florida and are a sub-species of the West Indian manatee. These gentle giants grow to 9 – 10 feet long and weigh in at about 1,000 pounds. This gray aquatic mammal has two fore-limb flippers and a paddle-shaped tail that help it steer and propel through the water. Manatees can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes. When active, they rise up to breathe every 3 to 5 minutes.

 

Manatees are herbivores who spend up to 8 hours a day grazing on aquatic plants and seagrass, and eating about 10% of their body weight daily. They have no front teeth – only molars in the back of their mouth that are replaced when a tooth is lost.

 

Scientists are concerned about the number of observed manatee deaths this year. In 2021, there are 539 recorded deaths from January 1 through March 19, compared to 637 total deaths for 2020. This is an alarming trend that is on the rise. Manatee deaths can be attributed to a decline in seagrass and added pollution.

 

Fun Fauna Fact: Manatees have been a protected species in Florida since 1893. They feed and rest in shallow waters which makes them an easy target for boats.

 

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

 

Read the full May SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Florida Manatee

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Florida Manatee

 

The Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is a slow-moving aquatic animal with an elongated round body that tapers to a flat paddle-shaped tail. Its two forelimbs, each with three or four nails, are called flippers. The manatee’s head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on its snout.

 

Adult manatees weigh between 800 and 1,200 pounds and grow to 10 feet in length. It eats a variety of plants and can consume 10 to 15 percent of its body weight in vegetation daily. It surfaces every 3 to 5 minutes to breathe but can remain underwater up to 20 minutes.

 

Female manatees give birth once every 2 to 5 years after a gestation period of 13 months. At birth, calves weigh an average of 60 pounds and are nursed for 1 to 2 years. Found in fresh or saltwater, manatees move into Florida’s warm waters and are sited in shallow areas from November 15 to March 31.

 

It is illegal to harass, hunt, capture or kill manatees. Manatees have no natural predators, but its slow- moving speeds put it at risk of being injured or killed by fast-moving boat propellers. Manatees are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act.

 

Read the full January 2020 SECO News online.

Nature’s Reflections-West Indian Manatee

A Unique Native Floridian

 

The West Indian manatee, (Trichechus manatus), is found throughout Florida’s shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays and coastal areas. This large aquatic mammal with its innocent looking face reaches ten feet in length and weighs more than a thousand pounds. It has two flippers and a round elongated body that tapers to a flat, paddle-shaped tail.

 

Manatees spend most of their day traveling slowly, resting and eating five to ten percent of their weight per day. It breathes air through unique nostrils that close when it goes underwater and holds its breath for up to twenty minutes. Even when sleeping, manatees surface to breathe fresh air and submerge again without ever waking up. Manatees shed their old teeth and regrow new ones, as needed.

 

Female manatees mature at five years of age, and males at nine years. On average, one calf is born every two to five years after a 13 month gestation period. Mothers nurse their young for one to two years.

West Indian Manatee

 

This plant-eating giant has no natural enemies and may live fifty to sixty years. Its friendly nature is its greatest threat. It associates the sound of boats and people with food and ventures too close to speeding boats. Manatee zones help to reduce watercraft collisions and provide better protection. They are protected by both federal and state laws making it illegal to harass, hunt, capture or kill this marine animal.

 

Sensitive to cold temperatures, manatees congregate in Florida’s springs where water temperatures remain constant and power plants that discharge warm water. Manatees can be killed or harmed by cold temperatures, ingesting fish hooks and line, litter, entanglement in crab trap lines, poaching and loss of natural habitat.

 

Column & photo by Sandi Staton