Find Scarlet’s Adventure Episode 2: Hangin’ with Sloths and other episodes here. Expand learning on sloths with the resources below.
Eyes on Science
Fin-tastic Activities
Discover Sloths
There are six species of sloths that all live in Central and South America. The Linnaeus’s Two-toed Sloth is found in northern South America, and like all sloths, it enjoys the slow life. They mostly eat leaves but will occasionally eat fruit and—more rarely—insects and bird eggs. They hang upside-down with their two front claws on each hand and three claws on each foot as they slowly move through the trees. Because they are so slow, they also have a slow metabolism meaning they do not need to eat that often; they have to live in tropical rainforests to keep warm; and they only poop about once a week! A slow animal might seem like an easy meal for a predator, but sloths have ways to help protect themselves. Their slow movements in thick foliage and nocturnal eating habits make it hard to be spotted by predators. Their fur often contains green algae that will also help camouflage them during the day as they sleep.
More Ways to Explore
Learn more about sloths at National Geographic Kids.
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