Sloth Trivia
The sloth is able to sleep all day because of its slow metabolism. That’s why your diet is made up of foods with very few calories.
In addition, the body temperature of this species is around 30°C, approximately 6°C lower than most mammals.
The sloth is known to be a slow animal, however, there are dozens of fun facts about it. So today we’ll talk about this funny animal.
What is a sloth?
First, we need to clarify that, despite being an arboreal mammal, the sloth is not a primate .
In fact, he is part of the anteater family. Within the family, species are classified according to the number of fingers they have, which is variable.
In fact, its fingers have very powerful hook-shaped claws, which allow it to cling to trees.
In addition, the claws allow the baby to be trapped in the mother’s belly, as puppies are born with already well-formed claws.
Sloth Curiosities: Food
Its closest relatives are insectivores. However, this does not prevent it from being a leaf-eating: that is, feeding on leaves.
Interestingly, some sloths consume the algae that grow on their coat as a dietary supplement.
One of the sloth’s greatest characteristics is its thick, coarse coat, gray and brown.
However, although it seems hard to believe, its fur can grow so much algae that it ends up having a greenish tinge. In fact, this coloration allows it to be camouflaged.
The leaves it feeds on generate very little energy. Because of this, the sloth has a stomach that occupies 1/3 of its body.
In addition, it can spend weeks digesting its multiple chambers, similar to gorillas.
Sloth Curiosities: Why is it so slow?
The sloth is known for its slowness. This is because they have very little body mass and a very slow metabolism.
Its metabolism is the slowest among all mammals, although some species are surpassed by the Panda Bear.
Due to its slowness and metabolism, the sloth spends days in the trees and only comes down to defecate or for an extreme need, such as drinking water. On the branches, they move with great ease.
Sloth Curiosities: ecological importance
It doesn’t just have algae in its coat. Besides them, there are also some moths that have a symbiotic relationship with the animal.
That way, when you go down to defecate, the moths that live in your fur lay eggs in your feces.
When they are born, the larvae feed on the sloth’s feces and, when they become moths, return to their coat.
There, they die and serve as food for the algae that the animal itself uses as a supplemental nutrient.
Furthermore, sloths are vital to ecosystems, as they are important seed dispensers. They consume various types of fruit and disperse the seeds through their feces in different places.
Sloth Curiosities: danger of extinction
Most sloth animals are in danger of extinction, mainly due to the destruction of their habitat . Due to their slow pace, they are more affected by changes in their ecosystem.
Unfortunately, because of his friendly and harmless appearance, they have become victims of people who want to have him as a pet and illegal trafficking.
In addition, they have also been captured and used for tourist purposes. We must remember that wild animals are not pets and cannot be exploited for tourism in an unethical way.
