The West Indian manatee can also be found in the coastal and inland waterways of Central and South America as far south as Recife, Brazil. Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal, and share a common ancestor with the elephant. There are approximately 2,400 West Indian manatees left in the United States. Females are probably not reproductive mature until 5 to 9 years old and males not until 6 to 9 years old. It is believed that one calf is born every 2 to 5 years.
Twins are rare in the wild.
Gestation period is around 13 months.