6 Sloth Species

• 6 Sloth Species Picture
• 6 Sloth Species Definition
• 6 Sloth Species Facts
• 6 Sloth Species Names

All about the World's slowest mammal, with facts on the various species of sloth, their differences, characteristics and where you can find them.http://Green. May 30, 2019 - Want to learn about all six sloth species? We've just updated our sloth species section and it covers every thing you need to know about the different species of sloths!.

Sloths

Hilights

• Scientific Name: Bradypus variegatus and Choleopus hoffmanni
• Status in the Wild: Common
• Habitat:Cloud Forests, Rainforests
• Diet: Omnivore

Costa Rica is home to two species of sloth, the brown-throated three-toed sloth and Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth. Black eye patches and “smiling” mouths distinguish Costa Rica’s docile three-toed sloths, while the larger two-toed variety have white-ringed faces, brown snouts and shaggy coats. Sloths are especially unique in that they spend nearly their entire lives hanging upside down in a tree; they sleep, eat, mate and even give birth upside down!

read moreclose$dotcontent.find('7ca42581-b81d-4eb2-8520-3f13e7c76947').customCode

Not surprisingly, both species are highly adapted to living in the treetops; their long claws provide a tenacious grip to the slightest of branches. Sloths sleep an average of fourteen to eighteen hours per day, so it is most common to see them as furry balls tucked into the crooks of tree branches. Their long guard hairs encourage algae growth, which helps them camouflage in the forest canopy. The average lifespan of a wild sloth is 10-16 years, though they can live into their mid-thirties in captivity.

The genus names of both sloth species refer to the animals’ slow locomotion: in the case of the three-toed sloth, Bradypus means “slowness of foot,” while two-toed sloths are Choleopus, or “lameness of foot.” Likewise, their common names in Spanish (perezoso) and English refer to their sluggish nature. However, sloths are not so much lazy as they are at the mercy of their incredibly slow digestive tracts. While most herbivores process food in mere hours, it can take more than four weeks for a sloth to digest one leaf. Therefore, energy is at a premium, and sloths exercise conservation of movement. Despite their lethargic movement on land, sloths are surprisingly agile swimmers, and have been observed using a modified overhand stroke.

Three-toed sloths are active both day and night, while the Hoffman’s sloth is mostly nocturnal. Both species live in the forest canopy, usually in dense tree crowns, where they can be difficult to spot due to their greenish-gray fur and relative stillness. In Costa Rica, sloths often feed on the leaves of cecropia trees, which are less dense and therefore a favorite place for nature hikers to sloth-watch. The two-toed sloth is primarily herbivorous, but occasionally supplements its diet with lizards, bird eggs and insects.

Both species have the peculiar habit of relieving themselves on the forest floor just once a week. They do not urinate or defecate in between these sessions, and can therefore expel as much as 1/3 of their entire body weight during this time. Scientists have not yet discovered the reason for this behavior. However, it is known that once a sloth relieves itself at the base of a tree, it will not return, choosing instead another tree in the area.

Habitat:

Brown-throated sloths are found from Honduras south through northern Argentina. These three-toed sloths inhabit primary and secondary forest between sea level and 7,900 feet, although they sometimes live in large parks. The range of Hoffman’s sloths stretches from Honduras down to Bolivia. They are found between sea level and 11,000 feet, and stick to primary and secondary forests.

In Costa Rica, both types are found throughout the country, except at very high elevations. In wet, lowland forests, three-toed sloths are more common than Hoffman’s two-toed, often outnumbering the latter 4 to 1. Both can be spotted in the forests of Tortuguero, Puerto Viejo, Manuel Antonio, and the Osa Peninsula, as well as throughout much of the Central Valley. The Sloth Rescue Center in Cahuita is currently the only sloth sanctuary in the world, and is an excellent choice for personal encounters with these unique mammals.

Reproduction:

Brown-throated three-toed sloths have a gestational period of six months, after which females give birth to just one baby. When her offspring reaches two weeks in age, a mother three-toed sloth begins feeding it small leaf fragments from her lips.

Three-toed young spend the first four months of life attached to their mothers, and they will feed on whatever she does. When a juvenile reaches approximately six months in age, the mother will abandon it and leave for another area within her range. At this time, the youth begins to fend for itself, but will retain its mother’s food preferences.

Hoffman’s two-toed sloths have almost twice the gestational period of their three-toed cousins – 11.5 months. Females give birth to a single baby that nurses for the first month. Two-toed babies attach to their mothers for the first five months of life, after which time they may follow their mothers for up to two years.

Females reach sexual maturity at around two years of age, whereas males mature one to two years later. Scientists have observed that females outnumber males in the wild, and propose that this gender imbalance may account for the long gestational period. This may also help increase reproduction, as sloths do not mate often, and few males are necessary to perpetuate the species.

Status in the Wild:

Two and three-toed sloths are some of Costa Rica’s most common mammals, and neither species is threatened. Some experts suggest that as the sloths’ native habitat has been cut down, the animals have actually flourished due to elimination and/or relocation of large predators such as jaguars, ocelots, snakes and harpy eagles.

Sloths in Pictures

• sloths on cecropia tree manuel antonio - Costa Rica'>
• sloth with baby sloth puerto viejo limon - Costa Rica'>
• baby two toed sloth rescue center - Costa Rica'>

Sloths are tree-dwelling mammals that live in the rainforests of South and Central America. In this article, which is part of our Rainforest Animals series, we’ll look at the sloth’s life and habitat, and learn where it fits within the rainforest ecosystem. At the end is a list of sloth facts for kids.

Watch the videos further down the page to see sloths in the wild!

Sloth Facts At-A-Glance

• Type of Animal: Mammal
• Order: Pilosa
• Number of Sloth Families: 2. Two-toed sloths (Megalonychidae) & three-toed sloths (Bradypodidae).
• Number of Sloth Species: 6 (see below for descriptions & conservation status)
• Where Found: Rainforests of Central and South America

Sloth Information

Sloths are arboreal (tree-dwelling) mammals that live in the rainforests of South and Central America. They are named after the deadly sin of sloth (which means laziness) because they move extremely slowly.

Sloths move so slowly that algae (plant-like organisms) grow in their fur! This is actually beneficial to sloths, as it gives them a slightly greenish color, helping them to blend in with their surroundings!

Sloths spend most of their lives in the trees, where they hang upside-down from branches and vines. Sloths eat, sleep, mate and even give birth while hanging around in the trees!

Due to the design of their feet and long, curved claws, sloths can hang upside down with little or no effort. This actually makes them a less appealing target for human hunters because even when shot, sloths remain hanging in the trees.

Sloths are mostly nocturnal, and sleep during the day.

6 Species, 2 Families

There are six species of sloth, divided between two families: two-toed sloths (Megalonychidae) and three-toed sloths (Bradypodidae).

You can tell the difference between the two families by counting how many ‘fingers’ they have. Two-toed sloths have two fingers; three-toed sloths have three.

Perhaps they should have been named two and three fingered sloths; both families of sloths have three toes on their hind legs!

Two-toed Sloths (Megalonychidae family)

There are two species of two-toed sloth:

• Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) (Conservation status: Least Concern)
• Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) (Conservation status: Least Concern)

Two-toed sloths are slightly larger and faster-moving than three-toed sloths. They are around 60 cm – 70 cm (24 – 28″) in length, and weigh about 6 kg (13 pounds).

Three-Toed Sloths (Bradypodidae family)

There are four living species of three-toed sloth:

• Brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) (Conservation status: Least Concern)
• Maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus) (Conservation status: Vulnerable)
• Pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) (Conservation status: Least Concern)
• Pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) (Conservation status: Critically Endangered)

Three-toed sloths are smaller and slower than two-toed sloths. They grow to around 45 cm – 60 cm (18 – 24″) in length and weigh around 4 kg (9 pounds). Although their tails are longer than those of the two-toed sloths, they are still quite short, reaching 6–7 cm (2–3 in) in length.

Sloth Video

Watch this video to see a sloth in its natural habitat:

Sloth Facts: What Do Sloths Look Like?

Sloths have fairly small, thin bodies with short tails. Their heads are small and round, with short snouts, small ears, and large eyes surrounded by dark masks. The shape of their mouths gives them a permanent smiling expression!

Sloths have long, curved claws. These can grow to be up to 3 – 4 inches (8 – 10 cm) long. Sloths use their claws to climb trees and to hook themselves onto branches.

6 Sloth Species Picture

The long limbs and claws of a sloth are designed for hanging and climbing, not for walking on the ground. Sloths have great difficulty getting around when on the floor, as this video shows …

A Living Habitat!

The sloth’s long, shaggy hair is home to algae, small plants and bugs such as moths and beetles. This is due to a combination of the sloth’s slow speed and the warm, damp climate of the rainforest.

Sometimes the sloth will even lick algae and plants off of its fur as a snack!

What Do Sloths Eat?

Sloths are folivores (specialist leaf-eaters), and also eat buds and shoots. Their bodies and lifestyles reflect their diet. Leaves contain very little energy and are also low in nutrients. As a result, sloths have large and complex stomachs, which contain bacteria that break down the leaves.

6 Sloth Species Definition

It can take a sloth a month to completely digest a meal! Sloths climb down from the trees in order to urinate and defecate (poop!) only about once a week. The contents of a sloth’s stomach account for as much as two-thirds of its body weight.

6 Sloth Species Facts

Because leaves contain very little energy, sloths have a low metabolism (the rate at which energy is used by an organism).

Two-toed sloths have been observed eating insects, lizards and birds in addition to plant matter.

How Fast (Slow?!?) Is A Sloth?

Sloths move extremely slowly, only managing to cover about 6 – 8 feet (1.8 – 2.4 meters) per minute.

As a (not very scientific) comparison, walking at your normal speed you’d probably be moving at about 275 feet (84 meters) per minute. That’s close to the length of a standard soccer / football pitch.

6 Sloth Species Names

So even when walking you’re about 39 times faster than a sloth!

Deep Sleepers

Sloths spend most of their time either eating or sleeping. In the wild, sloths sleep between 9 and 15 hours a day.

Can Sloths Swim?

They may not be very good on the ground, but sloths are good swimmers. They use a lazy, doggy-paddle stroke to propel themselves through the water.

Watch the amazing video below to see a sloth swimming:

Keeping Cool

Due to their low metabolism, sloths have the lowest body temperature of any mammal, and can’t shiver to keep warm.

Sloth Predators

Sloths are hunted by several rainforest animals, including jaguars, ocelots, harpy eagles, and green anacondas.

It’s much easier for a predator to spot prey that is moving. Because sloths spend so much time either motionless or moving very slowly, they often avoid detection.

Sloths are very vulnerable when on the ground and tend to spend as little time as possible out of the safety of the trees.

When cornered or feeling threatened, sloths will lash out with their long front claws.

Additional Sloth Facts

• Thousands of years ago, giant sloths roamed North America. These elephant-sized animals became extinct about 10,000 years ago.
• Sloths eat, sleep, and live most of their lives hanging upside down.
• If a sloth feels threatened it might put on a ‘burst of speed’ and travel at 13 ft. (4 m) per minute.
• Sloths are mainly nocturnal, but some are also known to be diurnal (active during the day).

Sloth Activities For Kids

• Think about what you can do to help stop deforestation and save the homes of rainforest animals. Write a short story about what you can to do to help save sloths’ homes.
• Gather some friends for a sloth race! Whoever crosses the finish line last is the winner!
• Draw a picture of a sloth hanging out in the rainforest canopy. Don’t forget to include the leaves, flower buds and twigs that sloths like to eat!
• Check out the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica.

Sloth Facts For Kids Conclusion

We hope that you have enjoyed learning about sloths. They are just one of the many animals who call the rainforest their home. Now you’re a sloth expert, why not find out about more rainforest animals? Visit our Main Rainforest Animals Page to get started!

Love Animals? Join Our Free Newsletter List!

Join the FREE Active Wild Newsletter List. A must for all animal fans. Awesome animal facts and information delivered direct to your inbox. It’s absolutely free, you can unsubscribe at any time, and we’ll never share information with anyone else. Click here for info: Subscribe to Active Wild.