Three toed sloths are amazing animals. They are good in water and in trees, but very, very bad on land. So bad on land that they must drag their bellies on the ground!
Three toed sloths live in the rain forests of Central and South America. What makes them so successful is that algae grows on their fur so that they have a greenish tint. That means it is hard to see them in the trees.
Sloths are one of the slowest mammals in the world! They sleep 15 to 20 hours a day and when they are awake sloths are still. When they move, it’s like they are moving in slow motion. They have an extra neck vertebrae that lets them turn their heads 270 degrees.
Sloths are identified by the number of claws they have on each foot. There are two toed sloths with two claws on each foot and there are three toed sloths with tree claws on each foot. Their claws help them cling on to branches.
Sloths eat shoots, leaves, and fruit. Sloths get almost all their water from plants. They eat in the trees.
Sloths are surprisingly good swimmers. They have long arms that make long, efficient strokes. They are good in water but super bad on land. On land their back legs are useless. They must drag them behind while their front legs do all the work.
Sloths mate in the trees, they also give birth in the trees. Baby sloths are known to cling to their mom’s chest for their first 9 months.
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