Sloths are tree-dwelling mammals commonly found in tropical forests of Central and South America. Did you know they spend 90% of their lives hanging upside-down?
There are so many lesser-known facts about sloths that will amaze you! Join us as we journey into their extraordinary world, uncovering facts about them and their ecological importance.
10 Quirky Facts About Sloths
1: Sloths Can Rotate Their Heads Almost 270 Degrees
Sloths possess three additional neck vertebrae near the base of their necks, which provide them with a wider range of neck movement and enable them to swivel their heads up to 270 degrees either way.
Three-toed sloths boast 8-9 neck vertebrae that enable their impressive head-rotating capability; in contrast, two-toed sloths lack this skill set.
2: There Are Two Types of Sloths — The Two-toed and The Three-toed Sloths
Sloths come in two varieties: two-toed sloths and three-toed sloths. Both varieties can be distinguished from each other not only by the number of claws but also by their facial characteristics.
- Two-toed sloths can be identified by their large eyes and light-tousled coat. They are typically composed of six to seven vertebrae and have a larger body size. Their dense layer of long greyish-brown fur often serves as a substrate for algae to flourish on.
- Three-toed sloths are easily identifiable by their distinctive facial markings, which give the appearance of permanent smiling. They typically possess eight to nine vertebrae and exhibit outer hairs that crack transversely two traits easily distinguishable on close inspection.
3: Sloths Spend Most of Their Lives Hanging in Trees
Sloths are arboreal creatures. They spend 90% of their lives living in tree canopies, hanging upside down and using long claws to grasp branches for support and food. Many sloths prefer trees for all their daily needs, including eating, sleeping, and mating activities.
Roosting trees provide sloths with natural protection from predators like jaguars and eagles, yet even as tree dwellers, they emerge to the ground at least once every week in search of food or mates.
4: Sloths Move More Quickly in Water Than They Do on Land
Sloths have one other remarkable trait-they are expert swimmers! One notable fact about these creatures is that they can swim three times faster through water than on land; furthermore, their fur is highly water resistant, making swimming much more straightforward for them.
Three-toed sloths can turn their heads up to 270 degrees while keeping their noses above water while swimming. They enjoy eating leaves that produce gas in their stomachs, which helps them float effortlessly across water surface areas and move quickly underwater.
5: Sloths Move So Slowly That Algae Can Grow on Their Fur, Providing Camouflage
Sloths’ laziness stems from their low metabolic activity. This low activity allows blue-green algae to flourish on their fur, creating camouflage with leaves. Sloths use this strategy effectively against predators by disguising themselves among trees with leafy hues in an effective defence mechanism against being eaten alive by predators.
6: A Sloth May Require 30 Days to Fully Digest Just One Leaf
Sloths possess one of the lowest metabolic rates among mammals, leading to slow digestion. Their diet primarily comprises rubbery tree leaves, which present difficulty for digestion—it takes an estimated 30 days for one leaf to be completely digested!
Sloths possess four-chambered stomachs, which remain permanently full for most of their lifetime. Their stomachs can take up as much as 30% of their body mass. Due to slow digestion and overfull stomachs, sloths only consume daily amounts of food from sources specified by nature.
7: Sloths Only Defecate About Once a Week
Due to their remarkably slow digestion, sloths typically defecate only once every week and shed roughly one-third of their body weight during an excretion session. As these animals lead sedentary lifestyles, they slowly make their way down from trees in order to defecate or urinate before their stomachs noticeably flatten after defecation or urination is completed.
8: Sloth Tails Are Only About 2.5 Inches Long
Millions of years ago, giant ground sloths existed that resembled elephants in size; these massive animals measured nearly 20 feet from nose to tail. Contrastingly, modern three-toed sloths typically possess shorter tails, with only 2.5 feet spanning from head to tail at most. One such species, known as the brown-throated sloth, shares dimensions similar to today’s three-toed species.
9: Sloths Are About Three Times Stronger Than Humans
Though sloths have approximately 30% less muscle mass than similar-sized mammals, their superior muscular arrangement allows them to withstand even forceful attacks by jaguars.
Sloths have always been known for their remarkable strength from birth. Thanks to tendons in their hands and feet, sloths can effortlessly hang upside-down from tree branches for hours without exerting energy; this mechanism even enables sleeping while hanging upside-down!
10: Sloths Spend up to 20 Hours a Day Sleeping
Facts about sloths include their tendency to remain still for as much as 20 hours every day on branches. They sleep for that amount of time due to their slow metabolism and energy-conserving diet, saving energy that they need for other essential activities such as food gathering and defecation.
Conclusion
Sloths are generally reclusive creatures. When approached, their razor-sharp teeth and claws will come into play against those trying to touch them, using razor-sharp claws against any attempts at touch. Yet their standoffish nature belies some unique characteristics about these mammals; from being capable of rotating their heads 270 degrees all the way back to their 30-day digestion processes and surprising strength relative to humans, sloths possess myriad features that amaze and amuse.
FAQs
What are 5 interesting facts about sloths?
- Sloths have the capability of rotating their heads almost 270 degrees
- Sloths move faster in water than on land.
- Sloths still move slowly enough that algae grow on their fur, providing camouflage.Â
- Their tails only measure 2.5 inches long.Â
- Sloths spend 20 hours sleeping every day.
Are sloths lazy or slow?
Sloths may appear slow-moving but are actually skilled swimmers and swimmers three times faster in water than on land.
How fast is a sloth?
Sloths may appear slow-moving, but their walking speeds reach 0.17 miles per hour.
How long does a sloth live?
An average two-toed sloth lives for 20-25 years, while three-toed ones may even surpass this threshold!
How old is the oldest sloth?
Linne’s two-toed sloth is thought to be about 54 years old.
What country has sloths?
Sloths can typically be found living in tropical rainforests of Central and northern South America, including parts of Brazil and Peru, specifically in their trees.