FLORIDA MANATEE or FLORIDA SEA COW Trichechus manatus latirostris (Harlan) 



Order: SIRENIA Family: TRICHECHIDAE 



Distinguishing characteristics : Large (1,000 pounds) aquatic mammal, hindlimbs absent; 

 forelimbs modified as flippers; tail a rounded fluke. 



Present distribution : Coastal areas of Florida; found along the edges of Everglades 

 National Park and at least occasionally throughout the Florida Keys . They persist 

 (in small numbers) in such heavily used boating areas of southeastern Florida as 

 Biscayne Bay, Miami River, and New River and occur northward as far as the St. Johns 

 River, Jacksonville. 



Former distribution : Coastal waters and lagoons , North Carolina to southern Texas . 



Status : Range greatly reduced. 



Estimated numbers : No reliable estimate. According to Craig Phillips (personal 

 communication), the manatee may actually be more abundant than is believed at present, 

 due to the fact that it is one of the most difficult of all totally aquatic mammals to observe 

 in the wild. It is, however, considered herein to be of special concern because of the 

 lack of reliable estimates as to its numbers in Florida and because of its greatly reduced 

 range. Five manatees resident at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, 5 at the 

 J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, and 15 at the Merritt Island National 

 Wildlife Refuge in 1969. 



Breeding rate in the wild : A single calf per cow; no sure data as to gestation period 

 or frequency of breeding . 



Reasons for decline : There is no evidence of recent decline (1966) . They declined in 

 the past for the following reasons: Hunting for flesh, oil, and skins; wanton slaughter 

 for "sport; " silting of coastal feeding grounds; freezing weather inducing pneumonia; 

 crocodiles and sharks, possibly taking a few very young animals; injuries received from 

 keels and propellers of powerboats . 



Protective measures already taken : Legal protection throughout Florida. Everglades 

 National Park--the largest sanctuary for manatee in the country. Also occur at 

 Chassahowitzka, J. N. "Ding" Darling, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuges. 



Measures proposed : Continue legal protection; establish sanctuary areas; impound 

 certain areas and experimentally stock. 



Number in captivity : 1 animal at South Florida Museum, Bradenton, Fla.; 1 at Marineland, 

 St. Augustine, Fla.; 1 at Albany City Zoo, Albany, Ga.; 1 male and 1 female in Miami 

 Seaquarium (Pers . Comm . , 1971, USGMA Cole) . They have been successfully maintained 

 at a number of larger zoos . 



Breeding potential in captivity: Unknown . 



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