Sloth

Sloths—the sluggish tree-dwellers of Central and South America—spend their lives in the tropical rain forests. They move through the canopy at a rate of about 40 yards per day, munching on leaves, twigs and buds. Sloths have an exceptionally low metabolic rate and spend 15 to 20 hours per day sleeping. And surprisingly enough, the long-armed animals are excellent swimmers. They occasionally drop from their treetop perches into water for a paddle.

There are two different types of sloths, two-toed and three-toed, and six species:

• Pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus)
• Maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus)
• Pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus)
• Brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus)
• Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus)
• Hoffman’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)

Of those, the pygmy sloth is critically endangered and the maned sloth is vulnerable.