Sloths are medium-sized mammals that live in the Central and South American rainforests . The sloth got its name from its slow movement, it is not lazy, just slow-moving. The sloth is the slowest mammal on Earth.
Sloths are slow-moving mammals that live in tropical rainforests in South and Central America. The six different species of sloth live in slightly different locations, all of which are fairly small and isolated regions because sloths simply don’t get around much. Sloths are grouped into two basic types: two-toed and three-toed.
What do sloths do in the rainforest?
Sloths—the sluggish tree-dwellers of Central and South America— spend their lives in the tropical rain forests . They move through the canopy at a rate of about 40 yards per day, munching on leaves, twigs and buds. Sloths have an exceptionally low metabolic rate and spend 15 to 20 hours per day sleeping.
While writing we ran into the question “How do sloths protect themselves in the rainforest?”.
A sloths main forms of protection are its camouflage (greatly increased by the coating of algae growing on its fur) and its very slow movement. These adaptations make the sloth virtually disappear in the rainforest canopy.
Tropical rainforest sloths in Costa Rica have become famous, thanks to publicity by Animal Planet and the Costa Rica Tourism Board . They are one of the most sought-after animals to see by travelers visiting the Central American country.
How many species of sloths are there on Earth?
The sloth got its name from its slow movement, it is not lazy, just slow-moving. The sloth is the slowest mammal on Earth. In total, there are six species of sloth. Sloths belong to the families ‘Megalonychidae’ and ‘Bradypodidae’, part of the order ‘Pilosa’.
What is the life cycle of a sloth?
Sloths live a solitary life, connecting with another adult sloth only for mating and for the first year of their lives with their mothers. Sloths can live 30 years or more. A baby sloth stays close to its mother for up to a year.