Latin for "nailless". The genus name Trichechus, comes from Latin meaning "hair", referencing the whiskers around the manatee's mouth.

Physical characteristics

The Amazonian manatee is the smallest member of the manatee family and can be distinguished by its smoother rubbery skin and lack of vestigial nails on its flippers. Ranges of body weight and size observed are 7.5 - 346 kg and 76.0 - 225 cm for captive males, 8.1 - 379 kg and 71.0 - 266 cm for captive females, and 120.0 - 270 kg and 162.0 - 230 cm for free-ranging manatees,

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