Mammals
Amazonian Manatee
Trichechus inunguis · also called Amazonian manatees
Grazing on floating aquatic vegetation deep within a flooded stretch of Amazon forest, an Amazonian manatee spends its entire life in fresh water, the only manatee species on Earth that never ventures into the ocean its coastal relatives call home.
Overview
The Amazonian manatee, Trichechus inunguis, is the only entirely freshwater manatee species, native to river and lake habitat across the Amazon River basin spanning parts of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. Its complete freshwater lifestyle, nail-less flippers, and strong adaptation to the Amazon’s dramatic seasonal flooding cycles make it one of the more ecologically specialised sirenians found anywhere in the world.
A manatee that never sees the sea
While its coastal relatives move freely between rivers, estuaries, and open ocean, the Amazonian manatee has committed entirely to fresh water, spending its whole life within the rivers and lakes of a single vast river basin.
Status
Vulnerable and decreasing, present across suitable freshwater habitat throughout the Amazon River basin, with declines linked to historical hunting and ongoing habitat degradation.
Amazonian Manatee: common questions
Why is the Amazonian manatee different from other manatee species?
This species is the only manatee species that lives entirely in fresh water, spending its whole life within the rivers and lakes of the Amazon basin, unlike its coastal manatee relatives that move between fresh, brackish, and salt water throughout their range.
Does the Amazonian manatee have nails on its flippers?
No, this species lacks the small nails found on the flippers of its coastal manatee relatives, a distinguishing anatomical difference that is reflected directly in the species' scientific name and helps separate it from other manatee species.
How does the Amazonian manatee cope with seasonal flooding?
This species has adapted to the dramatic seasonal changes in water level typical of the Amazon basin, moving into flooded forest areas to access abundant aquatic vegetation during high water and retreating to more confined river channels during drier periods of the year.
Why is the Amazonian manatee considered Vulnerable?
This species has declined in parts of its range due to historical hunting for meat, oil, and hide, along with ongoing habitat degradation and accidental entanglement in fishing gear, pressures that have kept the species classified as Vulnerable despite increased legal protection in recent decades.