Why Sloths Are Weird
When people think of this animal, the first thing they think of is probably lazy, slow, always sleeping and maybe even super super cute (which is what I think; many people probably think they look weird…)
As it turns out, there are plenty of good reasons why sloths are so sluggish—and laziness isn't one of them. Here are 13 things you should know about the world's slowest animal. Check out this: In a video posted yesterday, the main speaker speaks to Ark Encounter’s zoo manager (seriously, they have one) about sloths and then things take a weird turn around the 3:24 mark: (follow link to see video) #. Why are sloths being so weird? Well, the researchers aren't sure, but think it could have to do with the animals not wanting to get too hot in the scorching sun. Sloths don't have much option when it gets too hot except to move into the shade and stay put; but having an.
All the while, they don’t think of Sid the Sloth from Ice Age. But they should because he is quite the adventurous and utterly adorable sloth (even though he doesn’t look that similar to a real one)
And while sloths are perhaps all of those thing, they spend a majority of their days moving through the canopy of the tropical rain forests they inhabit at a brisk rate of 40 yards per day… which isn’t that far, but for sloths it’s quite the accomplishment.
But their slow speed is partly due to the fact that they have an exceptionally low metabolic rate and spend 15 to 20 hours per day sleeping. So of the time they are awake, they are moving a bunch of the time. Further even, sloths are surprisingly good swimmers. With their long arms, they can drop from their treetop perches into water for a paddle.
There are two different types of sloths, two-toes and three-toes, and six species…
Are Sloths Mean
They are the
- Pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus)
- Maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus)
- Pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus)
- Brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus)
- Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus)
- Hoffman’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)
Of these types of sloths, the pygmy sloth is critically endangered and the maned sloth is vulnerable to endangerment.
But why are sloths important you ask? Other than the fact that they are undoubtedly the most adorable creature ever?
Well… believe it or not, sloths are an important part of the tropical rain forest ecosystems.
So what is putting the sloth at risk of endangerment?
Are Sloths Friendly
Well the health of the sloth population is actually dependent on the health of tropical rain forests, but tropical rain forests within themselves are at risk of deforestation. Without an abundance of trees, sloths will lose their shelter and food source. When sloths come to the forest floor, which they do once a week to relieve themselves, are more exposed to predators and can do little to fend them off.
Why Are Sloths So Weird
To see how you can help #savethesloths, visit https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sloth and you can adopt a 3-toed sloth!