Reproduction

Mating can occur year round with no set breeding season.

Males and females mate with multiple partners during the breeding season. They may form small herds around breeding with males attempting to pursue the receptive females.

After a gestation period of 13 months the female will give birth to a single calf, or twins on a rare occasion.

At birth the calf will measure 1.2m (4ft) long with a weight of 30kg (66lbs).

Calves spend 18 months with their mother. During this time they nurse milk from their mother. The teats are located under the forelimbs. Within the first three weeks they are able to begin consuming plants.

Females reach sexual maturity by 5 years old compared to the males which reach the achievement at 9 years old.

A calf is produced by the female once every two to five years.

Behavior

As a mammal the West Indian manatee must surface to breathe. They can remain submerged for between 3 and 5 minutes at a time when swimming. When at rest this may extend out to as long as 20 minutes.

Each day they may spend between 10 and 12 hours asleep.

West Indian manatees are considered to have poor eyesight but have keen hearing and sense of touch.

These animals are social feeding in small groups averaging 20 members. If food is plentiful these may swell to include up to 100 members.

When swimming they are rather maneuverable and can swim upside down along with doing a somersault or roll.

They produce a range of vocalizations including chirps, whistles and squeaks.

Predators and Threats

Adults do not face any major threats. Juveniles are threatened by large sharks.

Boat collisions are seen as the largest threat to the West Indian manatee. Due to being slow swimmers near the shoreline they often come in contact with these animals.

Accidental deaths within flood control structures and entanglement in fishing gear can often cause death.

Manatee hunts were a common occurrence in to the early 1900s.

Quick facts

Despite their aquatic lifestyle the closest relative of the West Indian manatee are actually the elephants and hyraxes.

These animals are nicknamed the sea cow owing to their docile nature and habit of grazing on sea grass. They are also known as the American manatee.

Manatees and dugongs are believed to be behind the early myth of mermaids. This give rise to their scientific name "sirenians" which means "sirens of the sea".

Two subspecies are recognized, the Florida manatees (T. m. latirostris) which live almost exclusively in the warm waters of Florida and a few adjoining states. One has travelled as far as New York.

The Antillean Manatee (T. m. manatus) makes up the population across the rest of their range.

A male manatee is known as the bull while the female is called a cow.

The West Indian manatee is listed by Alabama as the official state marine mammal in 2009.