Manatees have paddlelike tails and foreflippers, and no hind limbs. Manatees belong to the mammalian order Sirenia. The order Sirenia has one other living species, the dugong. A fifth species, Steller's sea cow, was hunted to extinction by 1768.
All manatees inhabit tropical and subtropical waters of North and South America and Africa.
The West Indian and West African manatees live in rivers, bays, estuaries, and coastal areas. They can move freely between freshwater and saltwater habitats. The Amazonian manatee is restricted to the freshwater Amazon basin. All manatees are herbivores. The Florida manatee feeds on more that 60 varieties of grasses and plants.