Species Spotlight: Sloth

Sloth

Questions and answers

Do sloths swim?
Sloths are strong swimmers. They will sometimes drop down from their treetop perches into water and use their extended arms to propel through the water.

Why are sloths slow?
Sloths have an extremely low metabolic rate, which means they move at a languid, sluggish pace through the trees. On average, sloths travel 41 yards per day—less than half the length of a football field!

What do sloths eat?
Sloths munch on leaves, twigs and buds. A low metabolic rate means sloths can survive on relatively little food; it takes days for them to process what other animals can digest in a matter of hours.

 

 

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