Creature Feature Encyclopedia: Mammalia

West Indian Manatee Pteropus giganteus

Manatees have been around for about 45 million years. Like their distant relatives the elephants, they are mammals that breathe air and have little hair. Manatees are herbivores and eat about 100 pounds of sea plants daily. With such a diet, it is no wonder that these gentle giants can weigh up to 3500 pounds and reach 10 to 13 feet in length. Manatees spend most of their time eating and playing in the warm waters off Florida. Because they are very docile and have fanlike tails, some people believe manatees may have given rise to the mermaid legend. Manatees have no natural enemies, but are often hurt or killed by careless humans in motorboats.

~A Swim through the Sea © 1994