Hunting used to be a huge problem for the manatee but that has dropped significantly due to the conservation efforts around them. Man is the biggest threat though to the manatee and that is the reason why they are on the brink of extinction. They are also very susceptible to bacteria and parasites which can be a cause of death for them. Their bodies will shut down if the water is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That body of water is going to become too cold for them to survive in as the colder weather begins to set in for the winter months. If they aren’t healthy enough to migrate for the winter they will remain where they are. Those manatees that are injured in some way are also at risk. Young manatees are the most susceptible to this because they tend to be more curious than older ones. As a result everything can shut down and they will die in a short period of time. Their bodies aren’t designed to be able to handle the cold temperatures. They many accidentally move from a warm area of water to a colder one. The cold waters are a very serious threat to the manatee. West African Manatees – sharks and crocodiles West Indian Manatees – sharks, alligators, and crocodiles Here is a break down of the types of predators that the manatee can be concerned with based upon location: The downside to this is that the calf will likely not be able to survive on its own so it too will die. The teeth of a manatee are very faint so they don’t help with defense from predators either.Īs a result of this, the mother may find herself injured or killed in an effort to protect her calf. Since they can’t turn their heads without turning their bodies, they don’t have the speed either that they need to defend themselves. They can sometimes get in a few hits with their tails. The mothers are extremely defensive of their young, but they don’t have much to fight with. Many young manatees lose their lives in the first few years to these types of predators in the water. Their natural predators include sharks, crocodiles, and alligators. Of course the ones on that list are very powerful so they may not have much of a chance of surviving if one decides they look quite tasty. The manatee is lucky because it has very few natural predators to worry about.

Manatee predators