Though mostly herbivorous, they may occasionally snack on a larval insect or other passive, protein-packed snack (like a bird egg). Sloths eat leaves, fruit and some select fresh green shoots (they’re not keen on crunchy twigs). They’re not much to look at, but three-toed sloths do have short, stubby tails. Jaguars and eagles are common predators of sloths. This little ecosystem created by the algae is so unique that some species, like the sloth moth, live exclusively on sloth fur! So, do sloths have predators? The green tint of the algae helps sloths blend in to their leafy surroundings, but it also invites ticks, mites, beetles, moths and other creepy crawlies to the party. Each strand of a sloth’s coarse fur has grooves that run from top to bottom where two types of blue-green algae grow. And despite their slow movements, sloths are surprisingly strong.Īnd there are other reasons not to snuggle up to a sloth. However, when threatened, they can use their 3- to 4-inch-long claws and teeth to defend themselves. Sloths typically rely on their camouflage to protect themselves from predators. But if you do, like any wild animal, it’s best to keep your distance. In all seriousness, you’re unlikely to cross paths with a sloth in the wild (they rarely leave their treetop hideouts). Sloths will sleep, eat, mate and even give birth upside down! Why are sloths so slow? They live high in the trees of tropical rainforests, where they spend most of their time curled up or hanging upside down from branches. Sloths are found throughout Central America and northern South America, including parts of Brazil and Peru. Sloths actually belong to the superorder Xenarthra and the order Pilosa, with a family tree that includes anteaters and armadillos. But sloths and koalas developed these traits independently of each other. Koalas, for example, are marsupials that live in trees, eat leaves and have slow metabolisms. Sloths are mammals, but they aren’t primates or marsupials – though the groups do share some similarities. Two-toed sloths are also slightly bigger than their three-toed pals. But two-toed sloths only have two toes on their front feet, whereas three-toed sloths (you guessed it) have three. Truth be told, all sloths have three toes on their back feet. They’re considered least concern for extinction, although their native habitat is threatened by deforestation and human incursion.There are two living families of sloths: two-toed sloths and three-toed sloths. In the wild, sloths are nocturnal and arboreal. They get their name from the two long toes on their front feet that help them navigate trees and vines in the rainforest. Linne’s two-toed sloths, also known as southern two-toed sloths or Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, are native to South America, around the Amazon River basin. Veterinary staff were able to confirm Lily’s pregnancy with an ultrasound and track the baby’s development during gestation. Lola, the father of the newborn baby, has lived at the Zoo since August 2017, and has no other offspring. Lily and Tofu moved to the Zoo in March 2021. The Zoo has two female Linne’s two-toed sloths, Lily and her daughter, Tofu. The baby spends most of its time sleeping right now, but visitors may be able to see it being held by its mother. The baby lives with its parents in the Learning Center and is visible to the public. “It’s a significant birth for the sustainability of this species, and we look forward to all our visitors having the opportunity to watch this baby grow up.” “We’re so thrilled about this baby, the first sloth birth at the Zoo in recent history,” says Josh Sisk, executive director of the Potawatomi Zoo. The baby has been checked by the Zoo’s veterinarian, Audrey Siegrist DVM. The Potawatomi Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a Linne’s two-toed sloth baby on May 9, 2022, to mother Lily and father Lola.
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