Meet the West Indian Manatee

The West Indian manatee consists of two subspecies, the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), both of which are, according to the IUCN Red List, endangered. West Indian manatees are a migratory species, they are extremely sensitive to water temperature because they don’t store much fat, and thus are less able to control their body temperature, compared to other marine mammals. West Indian manatees are negatively affected by waters less than 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and thus migrate to both naturally and artificially warmer areas. Florida manatees migrate more than the Antillean manatees because the water where they live is colder. Florida manatees have been found as far north as New York during hot summers, and as far West as Texas, when Florida manatees migrate they often do so into rivers with artesian springs, or rivers with nuclear power plants (which raise the water temperature around them slightly). Exploiting these new areas show that the west Indian manatee is plastic to some extent, and are able to find and exploit new resources.

A mother manatee feeding her calf

From: http://www.acuteaday.com/blog/2011/09/24/west-indian-manatee-nursing-her-baby-calf/

Manatees and dugongs (a close relative) are the only herbivorous marine mammals. West Indian manatees feed on a variety of aquatic plants in sea, fresh, and brackish water, they are also known to feed on bank growing vegetation (if they can reach it) and mangroves. Basically if a plant is in the water, a manatee will eat it. They prefer to feed in shallow areas, and they spend a good deal of time floating on or just under the surface of the water. There is also strong evidence that manatees need to be near fresh water sources, it is thought that they have to drink it to maintain the concentration of salt in their body.

Manatee that was killed by a boat

From: http://floridaenvironment.com/programs/fe00117.htm

The largest threat to the West Indian manatees are boat collisions, major storm events (like hurricanes) are also a concern. An extra threat to the Florida manatee is the decommissioning or renovation of power plants, which reduces the water temperatures back to normal. Experts are also worried about the persistence of artesian springs for refuges as the increasing human population uses more and more habitat. The next greatest threat for the Antillean manatee is hunting, luckily this is starting to decline due to better enforcement of laws and education about manatees in Central America. In fact, many of the people who used to hunt manatees are now running tour businesses so that people can see these cute, curious creatures, this is especially beneficial as it’s turning a threat, into a protective force as guides work to protect their lively hoods.