Where do manatees live? During the winter months, manatees head for warm waters, such as springs and power plant discharge basins. Female manatees tend to be larger than the males. A. Florida manatees are found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, bays, estuaries and coastal water ecosystems of the southeastern United States. Manatees (family Trichechidae , genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows . 2. The following is a list of some of the places where you can see manatees in Florida. They have been located in the far North region of Cape Cod during the late summer months. Photos of African Manatees are very rare. The name of each species of sea cow indicates its natural range. However, manatees sometimes form groups or aggregations which are called herds. The African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) is a species of manatee and is the least studied of the four species of sirenians. Finally, West African manatees will inhabit both fresh and salt water. Manatees can reach up to 13 feet in length and weigh 3,500 pounds. The ⦠Manatees move from fresh to salt water with no problem (Powell 1992). Manatees prefer waters that are about three to seven feet (one to two meters) deep. How long do manatees live? Despite weighing 1,000 pounds or more, manatees do ⦠Amazonian manatees are smaller, reaching a length of 2.8 metres (9.2 feet) and a weight of 480 kg (1,056 pounds), and, unlike the other two species, they are darker gray in colour, commonly have a white patch on the chest, and lack nails on the flippers. Amazonian manatees do not enter salt water, instead preferring to live in fresh environments. They are semi-social animals that can live peacefully with other partners without relying on them for protection or cooperation in any situation. Manatees are mammals that do not form groups, do not have evident leaders or hierarchical structures. They can live in fresh, brackish or salt water. During the dry season (September â March), when they congregate in the main river channels or in deep parts of larger lakes, they may fast for weeks or months for lack of available food plants. West Indian manatees are native to the âWest Indies,â also known as the Americas. West Indian manatees have no natural enemies, and it is believed they can live 60 years or more. Migrating to Florida is very common for the West Indian manatee. West African manatees closely resemble West Indian manatees and are similar in size. For the remainder of the year, manatees are widely dispersed in Florida's waterways. They use power plant outflows to stay warm. As marine mammals, manatees need a temperate environment to survive through the winter. The manatees that live around the Florida area are able to move into various areas based on their needs and water temperature. Distribution of the Manatee. 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