The reproductive rate for manatees is SLOW. Female manatees are not sexually mature until five years old, males are mature around nine years of age. It is believed that one calf is born every two to five years. The gestation period is approximately 13 months. Mothers nurse their young for a long period and a calf may remain dependent on its mother for up to two years. GESTATION: The period of development in the uterus from conception until birth; pregnancy
West Indian manatees are large, gray-brown aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat, paddle- shaped tail. They have two flippers with three to four nails on each, Their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. The manatee's closest relative is the elephant.
Manatee's are Aquadic Herbivore. They are the only Marine Mammals that are Herbivores. They are known to have eaten: Lawn Grass, Dandelions, Palmetto, and Garden Vegetables They prefer to eat Sea Grass On an average day a manatee will consume 30 - 50 kg of food per day
Estuaries are often known as bays, lagoons, harbors, inlets, or sounds. An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water along the coast where freshwater from rivers and streams meet and mix with salt water from the ocean.
You can most likley find Manatees in Southeastern United States coast, the West Indies, or the Northern Coastline of South America
The West Indian Manatee is a large aquatic marine animes. Some people refer to the Manatee as the "Sea Cow". They believe to have evolved from four legged land mammals over 60 million years ago. The closest linked animal to the manatee is the elephant.
