Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth

Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth

Brown-throated sloth

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Bradypus variegatus
Population size
Unknown
Life Span
30-40 years
Top speed
0
0
km/hmph
km/h mph 
Weight
2.3-6.3
5.1-13.9
kglbs
kg lbs 
Length
42-80
16.5-31.5
cminch
cm inch 

The Brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) is the most common of the four species of three-toed sloth. It is native to rainforest canopies of Central and South America. The slowest mammal in the world, the Brown-throated three-toed sloth is an unusual animal. The word 'sloth' means slow. And indeed, this sluggish animal is so sedentary that algae appear on its fur. Due to hanging onto branches with their long claws, they are able to consume leaves, located too high for other animals to reach. On the other hand, these long claws create difficulties as they walk on the ground. Hence, the Brown-throated three-toed sloths are mostly arboreal, living in trees.

Ca

Cathemeral

He

Herbivore

Fo

Folivore

Fr

Frugivore

Ar

Arboreal

Pr

Precocial

Br

Browsing

Sc

Scansorial

Vi

Viviparous

Po

Polygyny

Po

Polygynandry

So

Solitary

No

Not a migrant

B

starts with

We

Weird Animals
(collection)

Sl

Slow Animals
(collection)

Appearance

The Brown-throated sloth has grayish-brown to beige-color fur over the body, with darker brown fur on the throat, the sides of the face, and the forehead. The face is generally paler in color, with a stripe of very dark fur running beneath the eyes. The guard hairs are very coarse and stiff, and overlie a much softer layer of dense under-fur. The hairs are unusual in lacking a central medulla and have numerous microscopic cracks across their surfaces. These cracks are host to a number of commensal species of algae. The algae are generally absent in the hair of young sloths, and may also be absent in particularly old individuals, where the outer cuticle of the hair has been lost. Sloth hair also harbors a rich fungal flora. Certain strains of fungi that grow on brown-throated sloth fur have been shown to possess anti-parasitic, anti-cancer, and anti-bacterial qualities. The head of this sloth is rounded, with a blunt nose and inconspicuous ears. As with other sloths, the Brown-throated sloth has no incisor or canine teeth, and the cheek teeth are simple and peg-like. They have no gall bladder, cecum, or appendix.

Video

Distribution

Geography

These sloths occur in tropical and semi-deciduous forests as well as subtropical lowlands and swamps of South America and southern Central America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela).

Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth habitat map

Climate zones

Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth habitat map
Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth
Attribution-ShareAlike License

Habits and Lifestyle

Brown-throated sloths usually have very short periods of activity between long periods of sleep. As a general rule, they sleep about 15-18 hours per day and can be active during both day and night. Adult Brown-throated sloths display solitary behavior and socialize extremely rarely: two adult sloths have never been seen together in the same tree. Fighting does not appear to occur between individuals, but they are known to protect their territories, food, and other property. During most of the day, sloths can be seen sitting in the forks of tree branches or hanging from branches in the middle layer and top of trees. They thermoregulate their bodies due to living in trees with exposure to the sun: when it gets cold, these animals exposure to the sun; during hot weather, they descend to find shelter in branches. Brown-throated sloths cannot walk and stand, hence they move onto the ground by propelling themselves with their forelegs.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Brown-throated sloths are herbivores (folivores and frugivores). They mainly feed upon leaves, flowers, fruits, and other parts of the tree.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
in South America: July-November, in Central America: February-May
PREGNANCY DURATION
5-8 months
BABY CARRYING
1 baby
INDEPENDENT AGE
5-10 months
FEMALE NAME
sow
MALE NAME
boar
BABY NAME
baby, pup

In the past, these animals were believed to be monogamous, although it’s not exactly true: they are solitary and males leave soon after mating without taking part in raising offspring, suggesting that Brown-throated sloths are either polygynous or polygynandrous (promiscuous). Females give out calls in order to attract males. As a response to the call, male sloths engage in fights, and the winner mates with the female. Populations in South America mate from July to November, while these in Central America mate in February-May. The females do not construct any nests. The gestation period lasts for 5-8 months, yielding a single baby. The young sloth is completely weaned at 4-5 weeks old but remains attached to its mother for the first 5-10 months of its life. Reproductive maturity is reached at 3-5 years of age in males, and at 3 years in females.

Population

Population threats

Although there are no obvious threats to this species on the whole, some subpopulations in Colombia and the Atlantic Forest (Brazil) greatly suffer from deforestation, which causes degradation and fragmentation of their natural habitat. In some parts of their range, the Brown-throated sloths are hunted by local indigenous people. In Columbia, some individuals (primarily - infants) are threatened by the illegal pet trade, being caught and sold as pets to tourists. This leads to population decline and poses a serious danger to this species in the wild.

Population number

According to IUCN, the Brown-throated sloth is widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. These animals are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • The long and coarse fur of this animal is normally light brown, though may seem to be green because of the blue-green algae, growing there.
  • At a few weeks old, infant sloths get algae colonies into their fur from their mothers. Algae, growing on their fur, do not occur anywhere else. These animals allow algae to live in their fur, providing it with the required moisture. Algae, in turn, serve as camouflage, helping them escape predators.
  • Males of this species are identified by a bright yellow or orange-colored marking between their shoulders. In this patch, they possess scent-marking glands, which are used to attract receptive females.
  • These sloths practice two types of resting: "awake-alert" - when they rest with open eyes and blink; and "behavioral sleep" - when they are suspended from a tree with their eyes closed.
  • These accomplished swimmers drop themselves off branches into rivers to swim. They are known to use breaststroke style, just like humans.
  • Muscles make up only 25% of a sloth's body. So when it's cold, the animal cannot shiver in order to warm up.
  • Due to the specific shape of its mouth, the Brown-throated sloth seems to smile constantly. The flexible head of this animal can rotate up to 90 degrees.
  • The female of the species emits a loud, shrill scream during the mating season to attract males. Its cry sounds like "ay ay", much like that of a woman screaming.

Coloring Pages

References

1. Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-throated_sloth
2. Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth on The IUCN Red List site - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/3038/0

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