Manatee

Manatees are large, slow-moving aquatic mammals that eat plants in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters. Their rounded bodies, paddle-shaped tails and flexible lips suit an underwater grazing life. They breathe air at the surface and use foreflippers to steer and handle vegetation. The common name covers several species with different geographic ranges. Freshwater and marine habitats both provide feeding opportunities, depending on the species. Mothers nurse calves that remain close while learning routes between resting and feeding places.