Sloths lead surprisingly interesting lives! Climb into some of the most captivating sloth facts and discover how every aspect of their slow-paced lives is perfectly adapted to their treetop existence.
1. Sloths fall from trees about once per week.
Sloths have extremely poor eyesight, making it difficult to navigate their tree habitat. A slow pace helps, but it isn’t foolproof. These unexpectedly rugged animals fall from trees roughly once per week! Thankfully, they can fall up to 100 feet without getting injured.
2. Sloth fur is an entire ecosystem.
A sloth's fur is more than just protection from the elements—it hosts a mini-ecosystem. A multitude of different organisms can live in a sloth's fur, including algae, moths, beetles, and fungi. This symbiotic relationship helps the sloth camouflage with its surroundings, making it harder for predators like eagles and jaguars to spot them.
3. Sloth's only poop once per week.
Sloths have a very slow metabolism, which means they digest food extremely slowly. As a result, they only need to defecate once a week—and they lose up to ⅓ of their body weight each time! This slow digestion helps them survive on a diet of leaves and ensures they conserve energy for other activities, like climbing and swimming.
4. Two-toed and three-toed sloths are different species.
Sloths are categorized into two groups based on the number of claws on their forelimbs—two-toed and three-toed. Despite their similar appearance, these groups belong to different taxonomic families and have distinct behavioral and physiological traits!
5. Sloths have a unique way of giving birth, to say the least.
Female sloths give birth while hanging upside down from trees. Once born, the baby clings to its mother's fur until it is strong enough to move around on its own.
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