Florida Manatee

Description:

The manatee is a plant-eating mammal (herbivore) that must come to the surface to breath air every three to five minutes. The adult manatee weighs around 1,000 pounds and is about 10 feet long. Manatees reach sexual maturity at 4–7 years, and the female reproductive rate is an average of one birth every two to three years. The gestation period is 13 months, and usually one calf is produced, although twin births are known to occur. Calves remain with their mothers for up to 2 1/2 years. At birth, calves weigh about 60-80 pounds. Like all mammals, it has hair on its body, nurses its young and is warm-blooded. Manatees can live to be about 50 to 60 years old.

Habitat:

The Florida manatee lives in brackish, salt and freshwater coastal areas around Florida.

Notes:

Manatees are endangered, mostly because of humans and boating.