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Description

Just something to celebrate International Sloth Day, the day we celebrate, appreciate, and spread awareness of these slow-moving, leaf-munching, and tree-hanging critters we know and love and how we can help them as they face the struggles and threats in the wild. With their close relatives being anteaters, sloths are xenarthrans in the order, Pilosa, that belong to their own suborder, Folivora. Today, the sloths we are familiar with live in Central America and South America, where they spend most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees in their tropical rainforest home. But back in the prehistoric times (sometime around the Ice Age), there was a variety of sloths and they didn't spend the majority of their lives in trees; they were much too big to do that. In fact, those sloths looked more different from their tree-living relatives. Unlike the sloths today, those prehistoric sloths had longer tails, some may had visible ear-flaps, and some of them even grew to the size of (or even bigger than) an elephant (one was named Megatherium). Some live in North America, a few lived in the Caribbean Islands, and others, like their arboreal cousins, lived in South America. They all spent their lives on the ground (though a few did swim in the ocean, close to the shore. They were called marine sloths), which was why they were called the ground sloths. But after the end of the Ice Age, they were all gone (either due to the change of the climate or over-hunting by early man). But the tree sloths are still here and there two types of sloths: the two-toed sloths (Choloepus) and the three-toed sloths (Bradypus). Overall, there are six species of sloths, including:

1. The Linnaeus's Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) - Least Concern (Middle left)

2. The Hoffmann's Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) - Least Concern (Bottom right)

3. The Pygmy Three-Two Sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) - Critically Endangered (Bottom left)

4. The Maned Sloth (Bradypus torquatus) - Vulnerable (Middle right)

5. The Pale-Throated Sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) - Least Concern (Top left)

6. The Brown-Throated Sloth (Bradypus variegatus) - Least Concern (Top right)

Yes, we all known that sloths are the slowest mammals on earth and that earned them a reputation of being lazy (that's what one of the seven deadly sins, sloth, means after all), but that's not the case. In fact, that's only because their limbs are adapted for hanging and grasping, not for supporting their weight. In other words, their muscles make up only 25 to 30 percent of their total body weight (as most other mammals have a muscle mass that makes up 40 to 45 percent of the total body weight) and their specialized hands and feet with long, curved claws allow them to hang upside down from branches without effort, and are also used to drag themselves along the ground, since they cannot walk. The arms of three-toed sloths are 50 percent longer than the legs. Therefore, sloths only move when they need to and even when so, they are very slowly, usually moving at an average speed of 4 metres (13 ft) per minute, but they can move at a marginally higher speed of 4.5 metres (15 ft) per minute if they are in immediate danger from a predator (like a jaguar, an ocelot, or a harpy eagle). While they sometimes sit on top of branches, sloths usually eat, sleep, and even give birth hanging upside down from branches and sometimes remain hanging from branches even after death. On the ground, the maximum speed of a sloth is 3 metres (9.8 ft) per minute. Sloths do come down from trees once a while, only to go to the bathroom (so that way, it won't let predators know they're there). Sloths are, however, surprisingly good at swimming, using their arms as paddles. While sloths are mostly vegetarians (as all sloths eat leaves of cecropia trees), two-toed sloths will eat insects, carrion, fruits, leaves and small lizards, while three-toed sloths eat leaves from only a few trees. While both types of sloths are nocturnal, three-toed sloths can be seen active the daytime (though they spend 90 percent of their time remaining motionless). If a sloth appears to be green, it's usually the algae on their fur that helps it be camouflaged and it also makes the sloth a living ecosystem for beetles, mites, and moths that specialize in living on sloths. A baby sloth learns what to eat by licking the lips of its mother. While most of the species are listed as Least Concern, two species are listed as Threatened (the pygmy three-toed sloth being Critically Endangered and the maned sloth being Vulnerable). However, like every other rainforest animal, sloths are in trouble due to poaching (mostly for the pet trade), contact with electric lines, and habitat loss. However, there are good people that are on the side of protecting sloths and their home, as some organizations help rescue and rehabilitate sloths, sending them back into the wild. You too can help sloths by:

1. Taking action (which is sending petitions/letters to your elected leaders, asking them to help protect sloths and the rainforest).

2. Supporting organizations that are dedicated in saving sloths and the rainforest (even adopting one).

3. Choosing your food carefully and wisely (since some methods of the transportation and production can threaten the rainforest).

4. Using less plastic (whenever you can).

5. Turning off your lights whenever you're not using them.

6. Share what you learn and spreading awareness about sloths and the rainforest with others (even your friends and family).

7. Planting trees.

Happy International Sloth Day! :bademoticon:

Description

Just something to celebrate International Sloth Day, the day we celebrate, appreciate, and spread awareness of these slow-moving, leaf-munching, and tree-hanging critters we know and love and how we can help them as they face the struggles and threats in the wild. With their close relatives being anteaters, sloths are xenarthrans in the order, Pilosa, that belong to their own suborder, Folivora. Today, the sloths we are familiar with live in Central America and South America, where they spend most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees in their tropical rainforest home. But back in the prehistoric times (sometime around the Ice Age), there was a variety of sloths and they didn't spend the majority of their lives in trees; they were much too big to do that. In fact, those sloths looked more different from their tree-living relatives. Unlike the sloths today, those prehistoric sloths had longer tails, some may had visible ear-flaps, and some of them even grew to the size of (or even bigger than) an elephant (one was named Megatherium). Some live in North America, a few lived in the Caribbean Islands, and others, like their arboreal cousins, lived in South America. They all spent their lives on the ground (though a few did swim in the ocean, close to the shore. They were called marine sloths), which was why they were called the ground sloths. But after the end of the Ice Age, they were all gone (either due to the change of the climate or over-hunting by early man). But the tree sloths are still here and there two types of sloths: the two-toed sloths (Choloepus) and the three-toed sloths (Bradypus). Overall, there are six species of sloths, including:

1. The Linnaeus's Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) - Least Concern (Middle left)

2. The Hoffmann's Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) - Least Concern (Bottom right)

3. The Pygmy Three-Two Sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) - Critically Endangered (Bottom left)

4. The Maned Sloth (Bradypus torquatus) - Vulnerable (Middle right)

5. The Pale-Throated Sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) - Least Concern (Top left)

6. The Brown-Throated Sloth (Bradypus variegatus) - Least Concern (Top right)

Yes, we all known that sloths are the slowest mammals on earth and that earned them a reputation of being lazy (that's what one of the seven deadly sins, sloth, means after all), but that's not the case. In fact, that's only because their limbs are adapted for hanging and grasping, not for supporting their weight. In other words, their muscles make up only 25 to 30 percent of their total body weight (as most other mammals have a muscle mass that makes up 40 to 45 percent of the total body weight) and their specialized hands and feet with long, curved claws allow them to hang upside down from branches without effort, and are also used to drag themselves along the ground, since they cannot walk. The arms of three-toed sloths are 50 percent longer than the legs. Therefore, sloths only move when they need to and even when so, they are very slowly, usually moving at an average speed of 4 metres (13 ft) per minute, but they can move at a marginally higher speed of 4.5 metres (15 ft) per minute if they are in immediate danger from a predator (like a jaguar, an ocelot, or a harpy eagle). While they sometimes sit on top of branches, sloths usually eat, sleep, and even give birth hanging upside down from branches and sometimes remain hanging from branches even after death. On the ground, the maximum speed of a sloth is 3 metres (9.8 ft) per minute. Sloths do come down from trees once a while, only to go to the bathroom (so that way, it won't let predators know they're there). Sloths are, however, surprisingly good at swimming, using their arms as paddles. While sloths are mostly vegetarians (as all sloths eat leaves of cecropia trees), two-toed sloths will eat insects, carrion, fruits, leaves and small lizards, while three-toed sloths eat leaves from only a few trees. While both types of sloths are nocturnal, three-toed sloths can be seen active the daytime (though they spend 90 percent of their time remaining motionless). If a sloth appears to be green, it's usually the algae on their fur that helps it be camouflaged and it also makes the sloth a living ecosystem for beetles, mites, and moths that specialize in living on sloths. A baby sloth learns what to eat by licking the lips of its mother. While most of the species are listed as Least Concern, two species are listed as Threatened (the pygmy three-toed sloth being Critically Endangered and the maned sloth being Vulnerable). However, like every other rainforest animal, sloths are in trouble due to poaching (mostly for the pet trade), contact with electric lines, and habitat loss. However, there are good people that are on the side of protecting sloths and their home, as some organizations help rescue and rehabilitate sloths, sending them back into the wild. You too can help sloths by:

1. Taking action (which is sending petitions/letters to your elected leaders, asking them to help protect sloths and the rainforest).

2. Supporting organizations that are dedicated in saving sloths and the rainforest (even adopting one).

3. Choosing your food carefully and wisely (since some methods of the transportation and production can threaten the rainforest).

4. Using less plastic (whenever you can).

5. Turning off your lights whenever you're not using them.

6. Share what you learn and spreading awareness about sloths and the rainforest with others (even your friends and family).

7. Planting trees.

Happy International Sloth Day! :bademoticon: