Wild Republic

Sloth

Quick Facts

Genus:
Bradypus (three–toed sloths) and Choloepus (two–toed sloths)
Location:
Brazil and Peru

Did You Know?

We have poor eyesight. We are blind in daylight, colour-blind and see only poorly in dim light, .. but we have a keen sense of smell and spatial memory.

From the moment we are born, we can lift our body weight with one arm. We have 30% less muscle than other same-sized mammals, But we are 3 times stronger than even average humans!

People think 2-toed sloths live 20 years in the wild, but they don’t know for sure; Our kin in captivity have lived 30 to 40 years and a bro lived in a German zoo for 50 years.

We sleep for about 15 hours a day during daytime and keep awake at night to eat.

The Scoop

Sloth

Sloths are a group of arboreal Neotropical xenarthran mammals. They spend most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees of the tropical rainforests of Brazil and Peru. They are mammals and extended family comprises anteaters & armadillos.

They are slow on land…but nimble swimmers. They can move 3 times faster in water.