The animals have been known to drop from the branches they're clinging to into rivers below to take a swim, an activity they seem to enjoy. And sloths are surprisingly skilled at this water sport. They move three times faster in water than on land.
Sloths are blind. They have a very rare condition called rod monochromacy which means that they completely lack cone cells in their eyes. As a result all sloths are colour-blind, can only see poorly in dim light and are completely blind in bright daylight.
This extraordinary plant predator is half blind, half deaf and spends most of its time sleeping in trees. So how does a sloth's day compare to ours?
The facial structure of a sloth gives the appearance that they are constantly smiling – even if they're experiencing pain, stress, or anxiety. When sloths are used as a photo prop for wildlife selfies, tourists may accidentally confuse this feature for happiness or contentment.
Sloths can seem cute and friendly, but if provoked they can be dangerous. According to AZ Animals, if left alone in their natural habitat, sloths do not pose a threat to humans. Sloths who become agitated or feel threatened may use their teeth or long nails to cause pain.
Adelaide Zoo is celebrating the life of one of its most iconic and oldest residents, Australia's last sloth, Miss C the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth.
Sloths are mostly solitary animals, roaming the rainforests very slowly, upside-down and alone. But when it's time for a get-together, female sloths are not shy about what they need. They scream for sex, as loud as they can, trying to get the attention of every male sloth in the tri-state area.
Sloths are one of the slowest animals on the face of the earth, but they are also one of the smartest animals.
Sloths rely on a continuous rainforest canopy for survival as they are physically unable to traverse big gaps between trees. As humans encroach further and further into the rainforest, more trees are cut down and the forest is fragmented which leaves the sloths very vulnerable.
Their natural response to fear or danger is to hold still, so it can be very difficult to tell when a sloth is in distress. Sloths are known for their lengthy claws, which are sharper than they look. They have surprisingly large teeth, which can inflict serious injury if the sloth is scared or irritated.
The sloth's steady-as-you-go approach to life shouldn't be mistaken for laziness, however, says Cliffe. “They're not lazy. The howler monkeys that live in the forests sleep for up to 18 hours a day, and the sloths only sleep for around 10.”
Sloths consume plenty of fiber in the form of leaves (three-toed sloths) and a variety of leaves and fruits (two-toed sloths). Yet these foods are digested so slowly that sloths need to pass feces and urine only about once a week.
Three-toed sloths cut down on the inconvenience by only pooping an average of once every week, a frequency that would have most of us downing laxatives and praying for death.
How often do sloths sleep? Sloths snooze for about 15 hours per day. That leaves only nine hours to lumber through the trees. They maintain a low body temperature of about 86°F-93°F and move in and out of shade to regulate their body temperature.
Sloths are known for their incredibly slow-moving natures, but it turns out that such sluggishness also carries over into their bathroom habits. So much so that they only defecate every five to seven days on average, and actually lose up to one-third of their body weight in a single movement!
Testicles are internal, but external genitalia is visible. Not so with Bradypus (three-fingered sloth)) babies. For both genders, reproductive organs are internal, so until sexual maturity, male and female Bradypus babies look similar.
The facial structure of a sloth gives the appearance that it is constantly smiling – even if it is experiencing pain, stress or anxiety.
Sloth myth 7 – Sloths are slow because they are intoxicated
And the fermentation process that occurs in the stomach doesn't render them drunk either.
Two: Sloths Urinate and Defecate just once a week
They mate and give birth in the trees, but they appreciate a little more privacy when it's time to use the loo. Once they have relieved themselves, they can be up to 3 times lighter!
There are two main species of sloth, identified by whether they have two or three claws on their front feet. The two species are quite similar in appearance, with roundish heads, sad-looking eyes, tiny ears, and stubby tails.
The IUCN Red List of endangered animals lists two species of sloths. There has been a steady decline in the number of these unhurried mammals as the years pass. Approximately 1,500 sloths stand in the wild today, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
They can cause the sloth undue distress
There has been research done that shows that sloths definitely do not like being held. When they are held, their heart rates increase and they are visibly more alert, indicating that being held by people can be very distressing and disorienting.
Sloths are mammals, but they aren't primates or marsupials – though the groups do share some similarities. Koalas, for example, are marsupials that live in trees, eat leaves and have slow metabolisms. But sloths and koalas developed these traits independently of each other. The two aren't closely related.