Manatees are large water animals. A manatee has gray skin with bristly hairs. Its front legs are shaped like paddles, and its tail is rounded. It has no back legs. Manatees grow up to 13 feet (4 meters) long. The manatee feeds on water plants. Its upper lip is divided into halves. The halves give the manatee a good grip on the plants as it eats. What's a manatee and why are they endangered? Manatees live in the Amazon River and Caribbean Sea and along the coasts of northeastern South America, southeastern United States, and western Africa.