Just How Slow Are Sloths?

The sloth's scientific name, Bradypus, is Greek for "slow feet", which seems fitting since they are the world's slowest animal. Sloths are so slow that algae actually grow on their fur! The algae is actually a good thing for the sloth, as it helps them blend into the trees. 

Sloths can only climb 6 to 8 feet per minute, which is very slow compared to most mammals. Sloths however, are excellent swimmers. Sloths will drop themselves off branches in order to get to the rivers for a swim. 

Since sloths bodies are only made up of 25 percent muscle, they can't shiver when they are cold to warm up. This is why they are found in tropical climates and are covered in fur. There are times of cold in the forest, though. If a female gets too cold, she is unable to digest food. If her young is still nursing, she may starve to death.

A sloth only has its claws for defense against predators. However, its very low level of movement and the camouflage make it difficult to notice.

Source: Live Science 

The Sleeping Sloth

Did you know that sloths get about 10 hours of sleep each day? Although it might sound like a lot to us humans, it's not the most amount of sleep in the animal kingdom. What's different about the sloth's sleep habits is HOW they sleep. That is, hanging upside down.

In fact, sloths spend the majority of their time hanging from trees, eating and even giving birth upside down, so sleeping upside is just part of the routine. Some sloths even remain hanging from limbs after they've died!

Binturongs - Asian Bearcats

At first glance the binturong might be mistaken for a lot of other animals. Its head looks like it belongs on a cat or perhaps an otter, while its body looks like somewhat of a cross between a wolverine, a bear and a sloth.

The binturong, sometimes referred to as the Asian bearcat, is actually a member of the Viverridae family; home to animals such as civets and genets. The origins of the binturong’s name are no longer known, as the language spoken by the locals who originally coined it is now extinct.

Binturongs are native the rainforest canopy of Southeast Asia in countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. They are omnivorous and eat a variety of different fruits, leaves, lizards and carrion. Their strong claws and long prehensile tails allow them to easily traverse trees and even walk down tree trunks head first!

One interesting aspect of the binturong is its smell. Like many animals, it has scent glands that are used to mark territory. However, the binturong’s particular scent is similar to hot, buttered popcorn!

Habitat loss and the binturong’s popularity as a pet are current threats to its livelihood in the wild.

Sloths Get a Grip

The sloth is the slowest mammal in the world; so slow that green algae grows on its fur undisturbed. The algae gives the sloth a greenish tint, allowing it to camouflage with the trees in the Central and South American rainforests. All sloths live in trees and can hang from branches with a powerful grip aided by their claws. In fact, because they have such a strong hold on these limbs, sloths have been known to remain hanging from branches even after death.

Slowest of all land animals

Sloths are medium-sized mammals from Central and South America. They live in the canopy of the rain forest, and though common are hard to see, part because of their camouflaged fur.
This excerpt from a longer video is fun and actually shows a sloth in action!




Maybe I should have put action in quotes.

Jungle Jane