Manatees at the Aquarium in Columbus Zoo by butterflykizzez04
Size: Length, up to 15 feet. Weight, up to 1,900 pounds. The Columbus Zoo is home to the Florida manatee; They are endangered and protected by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Their closest modern relatives according to biochemical studies, include the elephant and aardvarks.
Status In The Wild: Endangered.
Approximately 2,600 manatees remain in the wild. In Florida, the main reason for the manatee's population decline is boat collision. Other reasons include: hunting, pollution, drainage of swamps, accidental drowning, and cold weather. Natural causes such as perinatal death and disease have attributed to an average of 67% of manatee deaths over the last 19 years. People have hunted manatees for food as well as for their hides, oil and bones. Manatees can be expected to live 50 to 60 years
Habitat & distribution: Manatees can be found in coastal waters including bays, rivers and estuaries. They seem to prefer freshwater but live in saltwater also. They prefer water temperatures greater than 20 degrees C. They often congregate at sources of warm water such as warm springs and power plant discharges to thermo-regulate in winter (a Florida phenomenon). Where they are found is a function of food availability and temperature. They have nomadic tendencies, pausing in areas that supply their needs and then moving on. They move freely from saltwater to freshwater
Common Name(s): Manatee, Sea cow
