Are manatee native to florida

Answer 1

MYTH #9: Manatees are not a Florida indigenous species. They were imported into the state in the early part of the 20th century.FACT

Fossil remains of manatee ancestors show they have inhabited Florida for about 45 million years. Modern manatees have been in Florida for over one million years (probably with intermittent absences during the Ice Ages); i.e., a lot longer than people have lived here. The present Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is a subspecies endemic to Florida. Genetic studies to date indicate that it is not derived from the populations in Mexico or Central America, but more likely colonized Florida from the Greater Antilles thousands of years ago, after the last Ice Age. However, there is no evidence that manatees are now entering Florida from Central America, the Caribbean, or anywhere else. The manatees in Florida today have every right to be considered Florida natives.(10)

Answer 2

Yes, some species of manatee are native to Florida.

Answer 3

Manatees and dolphins are two very different animals, although both live are mammals that live in the water.