# How Long Do Manatees Live?

> Manatee lifespan is typically 40+ years in the wild. What shortens or extends life, life stages, and status (Vulnerable).

- **Species:** Manatee (*Trichechus manatus*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Herbivore (seagrass and water plants)
- **Habitat:** Warm rivers, estuaries, and shallow coasts
- **Lifespan:** 40+ years in the wild
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/manatee/how-long-do-manatee-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/manatee/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

Manatees are large, slow-moving aquatic mammals often called sea cows. The West Indian manatee grazes on seagrass and water plants in warm rivers, estuaries, and shallow coasts. Adults reach about 3 m (10 ft) and 500 kg (1,100 lb) and can live 40 years or more in the wild.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a prognosis for one named animal. This page is a species lifespan range.

## Gentle plant-eating giants

Manatees are among the only fully aquatic herbivorous mammals. A single adult can eat a tenth of its body weight in seagrass and water plants every day, grazing for up to eight hours. They have no natural predators and spend their time slowly cruising warm shallows, surfacing every few minutes to breathe.

## Help protect the Manatee

The manatee is listed as Vulnerable, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/manatee/how-long-do-manatee-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.