Three-toed sloths

Three-toed sloths (genus Bradypus) are tree-dwelling mammals with three long claws on their front feet. There are four species; the facts on this page refer to the most widespread, the brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus). Two-toed sloths belong to a separate family.

Where does it live?

It lives in tropical rainforests from Central America to northern South America, usually high in the canopy.

What does it eat?

It is a herbivore that mostly eats the leaves of certain trees. Leaves provide little energy and are hard to digest; digestion can take days or even weeks.

Behaviour and social life

Sloths live alone and move very slowly, an adaptation to their low-energy diet. They spend most of their lives hanging upside down from branches, where they eat, sleep and even give birth. They come down from the tree about once a week to go to the toilet. Despite being slow, they are good swimmers.

Young

The female usually has one young a year. For the first months the baby clings to its mother's belly and learns which trees she feeds on.

Conservation status

The brown-throated sloth is listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Still, deforestation, roads and power lines that cut through forests, and the illegal pet trade are serious problems for these animals. The pygmy three-toed sloth, which lives on a small island off Panama, is Critically Endangered.

Fun facts

• Three-toed sloths have more neck vertebrae than most mammals and can turn their heads through a very wide angle.
• Algae, moths and other small creatures live in their fur.
• Their strong claws keep them from falling off branches even while they sleep.