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.
Their bad eyesight also plays a key role in the sloths slowness — you can't run around in the trees if you can't see where you are going! Sloths lost the ability to see very well early in their evolutionary history – before they split off from the anteaters approximately 64 million years ago!
This extraordinary creature, found in the tropical rainforests of South and Central America, is half blind, half deaf and spends most of its time hanging around half asleep in the treetops. It only moves quickly when Mother Nature calls, and even then, quick is a relative term.
Sloths are legally blind.
These slow animals have rod monochromacy, a rare condition that means they lack cone cells in their eyes. Because of this sloths are colorblind, and can only see very poorly in dim lighting. Luckily, sloths incredible sense of smell more than makes up for this.
They are wild animals, and they belong in the wild. There are six sub species of sloths in Central America and South America, all of which are threatened by deforestation and degradation of their habitat (tropical forests), and by illegal trafficking.
Sloths are solitary creatures who want to be left alone, thus unlike household animals, they do not like to be touched. So, if you come too close for their comfort, they can be deadly and severely hurt people.
In fact, more than half of all sloth deaths are due to predators killing them while travelling to and fro their low latrines.
Because sloths are solitary, wild animals, they prefer to be alone. They do not crave human attention like dogs or cats. Nor do they like to be petted, groomed, or bathed because these are not natural behaviors for them.
Sloths are wild animals.
Though they may appear just as endearing as our domestic pets, sloths maintain their natural instincts. Generally, sloths do not like to be pet, groomed or bathed.
While it's not yet possible to have a pet sloth in Australia, if that day ever does come around they might just replace dogs as the ultimate family pet. Here's why ...
Sloths can fall 100 feet without injury
On average, a sloth will fall out of a tree once a week for its entire life. But don't worry, all sloths are anatomically designed to fall and survive — they can plummet from over 100 feet without injury (that's the height of twelve double-decker buses).
Naked mole rats are nearly deaf because their ears can't amplify sound. Naked mole rats have poor hearing because, unlike other mammals, they have abnormal outer hair cells that can't amplify sound. The animals could be used to model human deafness and help develop treatments.
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.
The brains of sloths might be small but they are very much focused on the specific skills that they need for survival. For example, the section of the brain that controls forelimb movement is well developed for careful climbing, and the sloths spatial memory is particularly impressive.
Most of a sloth's life is spent hanging upside-down. They descend to the ground to change trees (food sources) or to defecate (which is not often!). Lifespan in the wild is about 20 years and 30 to 40 years in captivity.
It is best not to handle or touch a sloth as they are highly sensitive creatures. Sloths are extremely sensitive creatures. Because sloths are highly scented animals, touching them can be dangerous. They can become agitated because of lotions and perfumes worn by others, loud noises, or inappropriate handling.
What happens if a sloth bites you? On the off chance that you do get bit by a sloth, do not be alarmed because they are not poisonous and neither are their fur or claws. Sloth bites can easily become infected, however.
Sloths are known reservoirs of the flagellate protozoan which causes leishmaniasis in humans, and may also carry trypanosomes and the protozoan Pneumocystis carinii.
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 can not sweat (except the tip of the nose for two-fingered sloths) and so, unlike humans, they have no body odor. Sloths actually smell just like the jungle: fresh, green, and a little bit earthy. Smelling like the rainforest is a great way to hide from predators with a keen sense of smell.
Sloths' diet is mainly based on leaves, which grant a low intake of energy. They thus balance such low calorie intake with reduced energy waste. As a result, sloths can't move rapidly and run away if a predator attacks them.
Surprisingly, the truth behind this rumor might be one of the most frequent questions we get asked here at SloCo! Sloths do NOT grab their own arms and fall to their deaths. This strange myth comes from an unpublished essay by Douglas Adams and is based on an encounter with a baby sloth.
So, do sloths have predators? Jaguars and eagles are common predators of sloths.
Three-toed sloths are some of the slowest and seemingly laziest creatures in the world. Instead of evolving to eat more, they evolved to do less.