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No one in Florida really needs an introduction to the Florida Manatee. They are native to the state and, along with the Florida Panther, are an iconic mammal for Florida. The Florida Manatee we all know and love is a subspecies of the West Indian Manatee.
As far back as 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, aboriginal man first migrated to various areas of the Florida peninsula. Their refuse heaps, or middens, reveal that manatees were hunted for food, well before Europeans discovered America.
Florida manatees are large, aquatic mammals that are native to Florida. Adult manatees are typically 9-10 feet long from snout to tail and weigh around 1,000 pounds; however, they may grow to over 13 feet long and weigh more than 3,500 pounds.
Before European settlers arrived in the United States, up to 10,000 manatees lived off the coast of Florida. But the settlers hunted the slow-moving animals for their meat and fat, which...
The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee. It is a large, slow-moving marine mammal with an elongated, round body and paddle-shaped flippers and tail.
1978 – Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act (amended the 1907 state law) – Florida Statutes Chapter 370.12(2) – declares entire state as a refuge and sanctuary for manatees - and allowed regulation of boat speeds in proximity to manatee aggregation areas.
There are two subspecies of West Indian manatees: the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus). As its name suggests, the Florida manatee is native to Florida and is found primarily in coastal areas throughout the state.
