Information About the Three Toed Sloth
Sloths evolved 35 million years ago in South America from one of the first types of mammals. Today's sloths inhabit South American and Central American rain forests. Sloths are divided into two types: two-toed and three-toed.
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Basic Sloth Biology
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Toucans and sloths live in the high rain forest canopy. Three-toed sloths are slow, peaceful, herbivorous animals that live mostly in the rain forest canopy. They are nocturnal, and move from branch to branch while hanging upside down. Three-toed sloths are about 23 inches long and weigh nearly 9 pounds, according to National Geographic.
Features
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Sloths have long arms with long, sharp claws that enable them to cling easily to trees. They move so slowly that algae grows on their long fur, giving it a greenish tint.
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Diet and Digestions
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Three-toed sloths eat primarily tree leaves and shoots. Sloths eat very little and take days to digest food. Their metabolism is so slow that they defecate only once or twice a week.
Predators
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Ocelots prey on unwary sloths. Harpy eagles and rain forest cats, such as ocelots and jaguarundi, prey on sloths, although the sloth's nocturnal and arboreal life style keeps it relatively safe from predators.
Conservation Status
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A baby sloth rests on its caretaker's lap. Loss of habitat because of deforestation has caused several species of three-toed sloths to become endangered.
Unusual Facts About Sloths
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Sloths have extra vertebrae in their necks, allowing them to turn their heads up to 270 degrees. The sloth's nearest mammalian relatives are armadillos and anteaters.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Cyril (Suleiman) Romier - Roumir - Ar Dialt Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Luz A. Villa Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Ana_Cotta Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Phil Whitehouse
