New molars form at the back and slowly move forward like a conveyor belt.
COMPLETE SPECIES PROFILE
Florida manatee
Trichechus manatus latirostris
One species, many connections.
Also known as: sea cow, Florida sea cow
WHY IT MATTERS
One species, many connections.
Its survival connects clean water, healthy vegetation, safe travel routes, warm refuges, boating, and human responsibility.
- Scientific name
- Trichechus manatus latirostris
- Animal group
- Vertebrate · Mammalia
- Environment
- Freshwater · Coastal
PUBLIC-DOMAIN VISUAL RECORDS
Two additional perspectives
Together with the primary image, these records show behavior and habitat without covering the photographs with labels.
INTERACTIVE TAXONOMY
Interactive classification
Select any rank to understand what the classification means.
DID YOU KNOW?
Curiosities that reveal how it lives
Manatees must surface to breathe air.
They seek warm-water refuges when water temperatures fall.
Sensitive whisker-like hairs help them explore water and objects.
Where it lives
Florida rivers, springs, estuaries, bays, and coastal waters, with warm-water refuges in winter.
How it lives
Mostly aquatic vegetation, including seagrasses and freshwater plants.
Key adaptations
Paddle-like flippers, a broad tail, tactile facial hairs, slow metabolism, and continuously replacing molars.
Its connections
Its survival connects clean water, healthy vegetation, safe travel routes, warm refuges, boating, and human responsibility.
Pressures and protection
Boat strikes, loss of seagrass, cold stress, entanglement, habitat changes, and harmful algal blooms.