Algae on sloth bear

Sloth Profile Sloth is one of the seven capital sins from the Catholic faith. It’s essentially a manifestation of laziness and a hesitance to further God’s plan. The word comes from the Middle English for “without care” and is thought to amount in a loss of interest in life. It’s also a tropical, tree-dwelling mammal that is known for being super lazy! Sloth Facts Overview Habitat: Rainforest canopies Location: Central and South America Lifespan: 16 on average, 49 in captivity Size: 31” (80cm) long Weight: Up to 17lb (7.7kg) Color: Grey-brown, green with algae Diet: Insects, dead meat, fruit, leaves Predators: Jaguars, ocelots, harpy eagle Top Speed: Really, really slow (4 meters per minute, on average) No. of Species: 6 Conservation Status: Least concern to critically endangered In the jungles of Central and South America hangs a creature who really has figured out life. The sloth spends most of its time in a dream-like state, in some of the most beautiful habitats on earth, literally hanging around. Its metabolism is so slow that it hardly ever has to eat or defecate, and it has a host of commensal organisms that live with it, in its fur to keep it company. It also has a number of other interesting adaptations to its unique lifestyle that set it apart from other animals in the area. There are six species of sloth in total from two families classified by the number of claws they have, and there are many more that are already extinct When a sloth does need to eat, all spec...

The evolution of sloths will have to be revised after two independent molecular studies contradicted the traditional view based on morphological evidence. The two surviving genera with their distinctive arboreal lifestyles and specialised diets are also important case studies in ecology and adaptation, while their lost relatives shed light on the recent extinction of megafauna. Michael Gross reports. • Previous article in issue • Next article in issue