Sloths



Sloths are medium sized mammals found in South America. They are split into two families Megalonychidae (two-toed sloth) and Bradypodidae (three-toed sloth). Sloths are best known for their "unique" appearance and their almost entirely sedentary lifestyle.

Random Facts:

It has recently been discovered that it takes around a month for food to pass through the digestive system of a sloth.

In Ecuador some tribes use the name Ritto, Rit and Ridette for sloths which mean sleep, eat and dirty.

Over a thousand moths can be found on a single moldy sloth.

First Steps:

A Sloths early life consists of even less movement than usual. For the first 6-9 months of a sloths, depending on the species, life they cling to their mother while she carries them around. Separation from their mother before they are weaned can be deadly. If a sloth falls off of its mother, the mother has to choose between risking herlife or her babies.

Growing Up: Sloths learn by watching their mothers. Their mothers teach then how to climb, find food (specifically what food), and they potty train them. Sloths that are rescued from the wild due to injury or absence of a mother can learn how to survive in captivity but usually have to remain there. After they have been weened, young sloths stay near their mothers for the rest of their first year and communicate through calls

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Home:

Sloths are not generally considered to be territorial animals. If their young is threatened, they will make a similar type of screaming noise as they do when mating. There have been female sloths observed in groups but they are generally solitary creatures. A sloth marks its territory using anal scent glands with excrete an individuals specific odor. Young sloths are usually given their territory by their mothers who leave after a year and find a new territory for themselves.

Power:

Since sloths are mostly solitary creatures, there is very minimal struggle for power. Their fights are pretty boring to watch due to the fact that they eat toxic leaves all day and barely move. Males do occasionaly fight over females.



Courtship:

Male sloths are solitary creatures and only seek out other sloths for mating. Females spend over a year and a half pregnant or nursing their babies so they need to mate soon after weaning. To ensure rapid insemination the females scream when they come into heat. This lets all the males know that she's ready to mate. Mating occurs up in the trees upside down. When the mating is over they return to their territories.

Learn more by watching Meet the Sloths on YouTube!