The Life of A Sloth

What did you know about the animal called sloth? Sloths live in the tropical forests of Central and South America. With their long arms and shaggy fur, they resemble monkeys, but they are actually related to armadillos and anteaters. They can be 2 to 2.5 feet long and, depending on species, weigh from 3.6 to 7.7 kilograms. There are two main species of sloth, identified by whether they have two or three claws on their front feet. The two species are similar in appearance, with round heads, sad-looking eyes, tiny ears, and stubby tails. Two-toed sloths are slightly bigger and tend to spend more time hanging upside-down than their three-toed cousins, who will often sit upright in the fork of a tree branch. Three-toed sloths have a facial coloring that makes them look like they're always smiling. They also have two extra neck vertebrae that allow them to turn their heads almost all the way around! Sloths have colour vision, but have poor visual acuity. They also have poor hearing. Thus, they rely on their sense of smell and touch to find food. It's a good thing sloths don't have to go to school. They'd never make it on time. These drowsy tree-dwellers sleep up to 20 hours a day! And even when they are awake, they barely move at all. In fact, they're so incredibly sluggish, algae actually grows on their fur. They only come down to the ground once a week to go to defecate. They slowly move about by digging their front claws into the dirt and dragging their bodies. If they are caught by a predator, sloths turn from sluggish to slugger, biting fiercely, hissing, slashing with their claws, and shrieking. Sloths have a low metabolism and a large stomach that helps them digest tough, fibrous leaves. They eat very little food per day and can lose up to a third of their body weight in one sitting while defeacating. The sloth’s hair is a living, breathing home to many different organisms, from microbes, insects to fungi and algae. Even the entire lifecycle of some moth species, relies almost exclusively on sloths. When a sloth climbs down to defecate on the forest floor, female moths lay their eggs in the dung. Once adult moths emerge from the dung, they fly to the canopy to mate in the sloth's fur, and the whole cycle begins all over again. Sloths have a symbiotic relationship with algae and fungi that grow on their fur. The algae provide camouflage and nutrients, while the fungi may have medicinal properties and protect against parasites. Sloths are surprisingly good at swimming and can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes underwater. They can also use their long claws to defend themselves from predators such as jaguars and eagles. Sloths have a unique way of communicating and reproducing. They use vocalizations, scent marking, and body language to attract mates and warn off rivals. Female sloths give birth to one baby at a time, which stays with them for up to five months to a year. In some cases, young sloths die from a fall indirectly because the mothers prove unwilling to leave the safety of the trees to retrieve the young. #sloth