![]() ![]() However, the two-toed and three-toed sloths each evolved independently. Giant ground sloths are thought to be the ancestors of today's sloths. Two and three-fingered sloths look and act similar, but they are not closely related. Genus: Bradypus (3-toed), Choloepus (2-toed) History Classification/Taxonomyįamily: Bradypodidae (3-toed), Megalonychidae (2-toed) When the sloth cub is old enough, the mother moves to a new area. Babies cling to their mothers’ chests until they are old enough to practice climbing on their own. They also learn what food to eat by licking their mom’s lips. Two-toed sloth cubs are heavier than three-toed sloth cubs at birth. They weigh between ten and seventeen ounces. Sloths have open eyes, sharp claws, and teeth when they are born. Mother sloths give birth while hanging upside down. This way, the baby will not get hurt if it falls. When she is ready to give birth, the mother moves down to a lower branch. Mother sloths can be pregnant for up to a year. Female sloths mate with more than one male.įemale sloths give birth once every two years on average. Male sloths fight over females by trying to knock each other down from a tree. Female three-toed sloths have a mating call that they use to attract males. ![]() Two-toed sloths leave their scent on trees to attract a mate. Two-toed sloths attract mates differently than three-toed sloths do. However, they can breed at any time of the year. ![]() Sloths typically breed after a rainy season because that’s when the most food is available. Sloths get water from the leaves they eat or by drinking from a nearby river. Sloths need to eat one and a half pounds of leaves each day. Both enjoy eating fresh leaves from the cecropia family of trees. Sloths can eat fruit, lizards, and insects, among other things. Sloths will look for warm and cool areas to help regulate their body temperature. They control their body temperatures the same way cold-blooded animals do. Sloths don't control their body temperatures like other mammals. Sloths save energy by not climbing up and down the tree all the time. Sloths come down from their trees to poop. They also have special muscles that allow them to hang from trees without using any energy. A sloth needs to conserve its energy because its diet doesn't provide much fuel.Ī sloth’s curled limbs help it latch onto tree branches. Sloths nap for about eight to ten hours every day. Three-toed sloths are active during the day and night. Two-toed sloths are usually active at night. A sloth lives near the top of a tree, grooming, eating, and napping. Sloths are found in Central America and northern South America. Sloths live in an area of about ten acres of rain forest canopy. This is known as a symbiotic relationship.Īll sloths live in rainforests. Sloths nibble on the algae for extra nutrients. The algae is part of a sloth's camouflage. The algae found in a sloth’s fur is unique. Other insects, such as mites and ticks, often live in a sloth’s fur. The moth and beetle species that live in a sloth's fur can’t be found anywhere else. A sloth's fur often has insects living in it and algae growing on it. The coarse outer layer of fur serves as camouflage. Their soft undercoat helps them stay warm. The three-toed sloth is usually darker in color than the two-toed sloth. The two-toed sloth has no tail, but the three-toed sloth has a two-and-a-half-inch tail. Two-toed sloths are a bit bigger than their three-toed counterparts. They are between two and two-and-a-half feet long and weigh between eight and seventeen pounds. The bodies of both sloths have long, shaggy fur. The three-toed sloth’s facial fur is colored as though it is smiling and wearing a black mask. The sloths in both groups have a long trunk and four long limbs.Įach of the back limbs has three claws. Both have flat heads, big sad-looking eyes, small ears, and short snouts. The appearance of the two-toed and three-toed sloths is similar. Two-toed sloths have two claws each, while three-toed sloths have three. The difference between two-toed and three-toed sloths is the number of claws on their front limbs. We will be talking about both the two-toed and three-toed sloth groups.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |