Mommy Sloth and Baby

A Sloth is a three-toed mammal that lives in the Central and South American rain forest, he is one of the world's slowest animals, taking into consideration that the tortoise is the slowest. Sloths hang upside down for hours and hours on end. Believe it or not, there are only four different of species of three-toed sloths in the world, of which (there are two species of two-toed sloths). Sloths average length is 2 feet, and their average weight is 9 pounds, pretty much the size of a full grown raccoon.

We could try to hang upside down for a long time, but we probably would get a headache, Sloths have super strong, curved claws and powerful arms and leg muscles absolutely perfect for just hanging around. What's really interesting, the fur of sloths grows out and down from the belly, not coming from the back down, this lovely hairdo allows for watery downpours in the rain forest.

The sloth only comes down the rain forest floor about once a week to pee, poop, and then he heads back up to the same trees or a new tree.

Sloth Hanging Upside Down

The word "sloth" actually means lazy, but sloths are far from lazy, sloths sleep 9 to 10 hours a day to save energy, their main diet is leaves, and we know if we ate just leave, we wouldn't have much energy at all. After a sloth takes a 9 to 10 hour nap, he goes to find lunch or dinner again.

When there has been forest cuttings, and there are huge clearings, sloths have to travel across them, Sloths have short back legs, with their front arms longer, it has to bend it's elbows and lower itself close to the ground when it walks.

Adorable Baby Sloth

Mother sloths give birth to only one baby at a time; as soon as the baby is born it attaches itself to mom with its long claws, nursing several times a day. When the baby sloth is just a few weeks old, it starts tasting leaves and shares them with his mother. Young babies at 4 months start to explore their world around them, it starts practicing hooking its claws over branches to get the hang of being able to hang upside down. The little sloth sometimes gets to curious, and loses his way. When the young sloth is in trouble he "whistles" a high-pitched cry for momma. Mom moves quickly to his rescue, for a sloth that is.

By the time the young sloth is ten months old, he is ready to take on the slow up and downs of a grown-up sloths life. That is very s-l-o-w-l-y!

Hope you enjoyed the reading of our mammal creature the three-toed sloth.