Sloths

Baby sloths weigh only about 10 ounces (280 grams) at birth, similar to a small guinea pig!

The extinct giant ground sloth, Megatherium, weighed up to 4 tons (8,000 pounds), as heavy as an elephant!

A sloth’s skull is only about 3 inches (7.6 cm) long and has fewer teeth (18 to 20) than most mammals!

The Pygmy three-toed sloth is the smallest sloth species, weighing just 5.5-7.7 pounds (2.5-3.5 kg)!

When a sloth’s arms are fully extended, its “wingspan” can reach up to 5–6 feet (1.5-1.8 meters)!

Despite their small size, sloths have very long claws that can grow up to 4 inches (10 cm) in length!

Names for Males, Females, and Babies

A baby sloth is called an “infant” or sometimes a “cub”!

Adult male sloths are simply called “males,” while females are called “females,” with no special terms like “buck” or “doe”!

Unlike many mammals, male and female sloths look nearly identical, making it difficult to tell them apart without close examination!

A pregnant female sloth is called a “gravid female”!

Sloth mothers carry their babies on their chest for the first few weeks of life!

Orphaned baby sloths are called “orphans” and face significant challenges surviving without their mothers!

A sloth that has just reached maturity is sometimes called a “subadult” by scientists!

Diet Classification and Feeding Habits

Sloths are folivores, meaning their diet consists mainly of leaves, but they occasionally eat fruits, flowers, and even small lizards!

A sloth’s diet is so low in nutrients and calories that they must conserve energy by moving very slowly and sleeping most of the day!

Three-toed sloths are strict vegetarians, while two-toed sloths will sometimes eat small birds, lizards, and insects!

Sloths have a multi-chambered stomach similar to a cow’s, which takes up to a month to digest a single meal completely!

Scientists are using GPS trackers to learn more about sloth movement patterns and help protect their habitats!

A sloth’s metabolic rate is only about 40-45% of what would be expected for a mammal their size!

Sloths can survive injuries that would be fatal to other mammals because their blood clots extremely quickly!

Sloths have extra neck vertebrae that allow them to turn their heads 180 degrees while upside down!

A sloth’s body temperature can vary between 30.2°C and 34.9°C (86.4°F and 94.8°F), much more than most mammals!

Sloths have very little muscle mass — only about 25-30% of their total body weight!

A sloth’s slow movement helps them avoid detection by predators that hunt by sensing motion!

Sloths can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes underwater because their slow metabolism requires less oxygen!

A sloth’s fur can host up to 950 moths and beetles at once!

Sloths have special blood vessels in their limbs that help them stay hanging for hours without getting tired!

A sloth’s stomach can account for up to two-thirds of its body weight when full!

Sloths get most of their water from the juicy leaves they eat and rarely drink directly from water sources!

Sloths eat about 50 to 120 grams of leaves each day, which is about the same weight as 2 to 3 apples!

Three-toed sloths typically feed on only about 40 different species of trees and are much pickier eaters than two-toed sloths!

Sloths have no front teeth but use their hard lips and tongue to pull leaves into their mouth!

Physical Characteristics

Sloths have 30% less muscle mass than similar-sized mammals, which helps them conserve energy!

A sloth’s fur hosts an entire ecosystem of algae, moths, beetles, and even cockroaches that live nowhere else on Earth!

Sloths have green algae growing in grooves in their fur, which helps camouflage them in the rainforest canopy!

Sloths have an extra neck vertebra (9 instead of 7) that allows them to turn their heads almost 180 degrees!

Unlike most mammals, sloths don’t have a set body temperature and can vary between 74°F and 92°F (24-33°C) during the day!

Sloths have limited color vision and see the world in shades of green, but their eyesight is not as sharp as other mammals. They rely more on their sense of smell and memory to navigate their environment.

A sloth’s claws are actually modified fingers and toes that have evolved specifically for hanging from branches!

Sloths have 40-45% less muscle mass than similar-sized mammals, making them much weaker but requiring less energy!

A sloth’s internal organs are attached to their ribcage, which helps them breathe while hanging upside down!

Sloths have no external ears, just small holes on the sides of their heads covered by fur!

Three-toed sloths have a short tail stub of about 2–3 inches (5-7 cm), while two-toed sloths have no visible tail at all!

Sloths can hold their breath underwater for up to 40 minutes, making them surprisingly good swimmers!

A sloth’s fur flows from belly to back (opposite of most mammals) to help water run off while hanging upside down in the rain!

The muscles in a sloth’s limbs are optimized for grasping and hanging rather than for powerful movement!

Behavior & Intelligence

Sloths move so slowly that algae grows on their fur, providing them with excellent camouflage in the green rainforest!

When on the ground, sloths drag themselves forward using their front claws, as their legs are too weak for walking upright!

Sloths only urinate and defecate once a week, usually after climbing down to the base of their tree!

Sloths are primarily nocturnal, being most active during the night and sleeping during the day.