Sloths | Folivora
Sloths, or Folivora, are arboreal mammals endemic to the tropical rainforest of Central and South America. They are sluggish, preferring to spend time on trees with dense foliage, which is their primary diet. There are two species: two and three-toed sloths, with the former being a little bigger, spending more time hanging upside down and the latter sitting upright. Overall, they have long arms and shaggy fur, stubby tails, tiny ears, and rounded heads with sad-looking eyes. The name sloth comes from slow body movement and metabolism. Their fur is mostly covered with algae for camouflage.
Sloths’ slow metabolic rates make them not able to move quickly on land and even on trees. Fortunately, this is not a disadvantage to them as it is a survival skill. But what is interesting is that sloths can swim quickly. This is because they float easily or have a natural buoyancy.
The fact that sloths move slowly and have small brains compared to their body size doesn’t mean that they are not smart. They are in their own way. They can hang upside down all day, stay still to watch out for predators, swim quickly, are extremely strong, and can make loud vocals to communicate with other sloths.
Camouflage is the best weapon that sloths use to protect themselves from predation. This is in addition to their slow movements, which ensure birds of prey can’t easily detect them. If these don’t work, then they will engage their three-to-four inches long claws and teeth to bite off attackers.
