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West Indian manatee
Reference image

Galen Rathbun · Original image & credits · Public domain

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MARINE LIFE

West Indian manatee

Meet west indian manatee—one more extraordinary life to discover.

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A CLOSER LOOK

A reference overview

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the Eastern United States to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it feeds on underwater plants and uses its whiskers to navigate. It is divided into two subspecies, the Florida manatee (T. m.

Overview excerpt from Wikipedia contributors · West Indian manatee, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Excerpt may be shortened. Overview retrieved 2026-10-09.

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The evidence behind this discovery

Source-linked

This overview is attributed to Wikipedia contributors and was retrieved on 2026-10-09. Retrieval is not independent scientific review.

Reference media

The picture has a linked creator and license. Extinct-animal images may show a fossil, specimen or reconstruction; a reconstruction is not a photograph of the living animal.

Scope and uncertainty

Map points represent selected regions, not complete ranges or live sightings. References and identifications can change. A linked source is not an expert certification.

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