They have two flippers with three to four nails on each, and their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal. The West Indian manatee is related to the West African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, the dugong, and Steller's sea cow, which was hunted to extinction in 1768. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs about 1,000 pounds. Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas.
Manatees are a migratory species.
Within the United States, West Indian manatees are concentrated in Florida in the winter, but can be found in summer months as far west as Alabama and as far north as Virginia and the Carolinas. West Indian manatees can also be found in the coastal and inland waterways of Central America and along the northern coast of South America, although distribution in these areas may be spotty. Manatees are gentle and slow-moving. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and in travel. Manatees are completely herbivorous.