Sloth

About Sloths

Sloths are small sized mammals, with round heads, and short snouts, small eyes and long legs.

Sloths have coarse fur that is light brown in color, but often appears green due to the blue-green algae that grow there. Instead of toes, their front and hind feet have three curved claws that allow them to easily hook onto tree branches and hang upside-down. 

Fun facts

- Sloths can rotate their heads nearly 90 degrees, 

- Their mouths are shaped so they look like they are always smiling. 

- Males are distinguishable from females because they usually have a bright yellow or orange patch of fur located between their shoulders.

Slow and Steady

The sloth is renowned to be the slowest-moving animal on earth!

They can swim but are virtually unable to walk. This makes them an easy target for predators who hunt sloths for meat.

Ritual defecation is the sloth equivalent of speed dating, just without the speed. This unfortunately puts them at risk to ground animals which prey upon sloths.

However, the slowness is the ultimate weapon in for sloths in their  evolutionary war against eagle-eyed, fleet-footed predators. Perfectly blending in with the forest to cosy up with algae and fungi.


Still interested? find more about sloths HERE


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References

https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/species/sloth

http://theconversation.com/sloths-arent-lazy-their-slowness-is-a-survival-skill-63568

https://www.britannica.com/animal/sloth

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