Three-toed sloths are INCREDIBLY charming creatures – just look at those smiles! But if the only sloth you’ve ever seen was in the film Zootropolis, you have a lot to learn! Luckily these fabulous facts will walk you through the leafy world of slothes. You’re about to learn some truly astounding facts – what they like to snack on, when they like to move fast, and their peculiar toilet routine! And when you’re done, you’ll be a total expert – why not try our sloth quiz? Or get ready for some laid-back laughs with our sloth jokes!

1. There are five types of three-toed sloth

There are two types of sloth – two-toed and three-toed. It’s easy enough to tell them apart – just count the number of claws at the end of their arms! All types of sloth have three toes on their back legs – it’s the front legs that mark the difference! There are a few other differences between the two kinds of sloth, one being that they have slightly shorter tails, and move a little slower. There are five extant species of three-toed sloth – the pygmy three-toed sloth, the pale-throated sloth, the maned sloth, the brown-throated sloth, and the southern maned sloth. They look a little different from each other and can be found in different parts of South and Central America, but many of their habits are the same.

2. You’ll find them in South America

If you want to see a three-toed sloth in the wild, you’ll need to hop on a plane and head to Central or South America! The five different species live in different parts of the continent, so if you want to see a southern maned sloth (for example), you’ll need to go to Brazil; or to see a pygmy three-toed sloth, you’ll need to head to Panama. All three-toed sloths live in what’s called the neotropical realm, which is one of eight biogeographic regions in the world.

3. They’re the world’s slowest mammals

Though they do spend more time active per day than the two-toed sloth (about ten hours), they move even slower! On average, a three-toed sloth moves at about 0.24 km/h (0.15 mph), which is roughly a foot per minute. Their slowness is actually a survival tactic – they move so little they rarely attract attention from predators like jaguars, anacondas and ocelots.

4. They’re arboreal

Arboreal animals are animals that spend most (if not all) of their lives up trees. That’s where you’ll find the three-toed sloth almost all the time! They even give birth hanging from trees! Sloth bodies are very well adapted to hanging out in trees all the time. Their arms “lock” into place, so they can hang without using up any more energy than necessary. This grip is also INCREDIBLY strong, so predators can’t rip sloths from branches. Think you could beat a sloth at a pull-up contest? No chance! Some of their internal organs are also distributed lower down than in most mammals, which means they aren’t pressing on their lungs when they hang upside down. They can also survive long falls of up to 100 metres!

5. They LOVE hisbiscus

Sloths are vegetarians, and usually snack on the fruit, leaves and sap of the trees they climb. They are also partial to flowers if they can get them, and apparently hibiscus flowers (which have a tart, sweet flavour you might have tasted in a soft drink or dessert) are their favourites!

6. They can starve to death on a full stomach

Sloths don’t eat very much (only about 160 calories a day), partially because they don’t use much energy, but also because their digestion is ALSO very slow. It takes a sloth about four weeks to digest food, which is the longest time for any mammal, and they have a very complicated digestive system. They’ve also evolved so that their bodies cannot regulate their core temperatures. This helps save metabolism, but it means that if the sloth gets too cold, its gut biome can’t function, and the sloth can starve with a full stomach!

7. They grow algae on their coats!

You might have seen pictures of sloths where they look green. There’s a reason for this – sloths move SO slowly, that algae actually grows on their fur. This is a useful defence tactic, because it makes it easier for them to blend in with the foliage. When a predator looks up, they don’t see a sloth – they see a bunch of leaves! Sloths will eat some of these algae when they groom themselves, which provides them with some extra nutrients.

8. They’re a good home for other animals

Algae isn’t the only thing that finds a home on the three-toed sloth! Sloths are often home to a multitude of other small creatures, including insects and fungi. Some species of moth actually rely on sloths for their survival, as the females will lay their eggs in sloth dung on the forest floor.

9. They have VERY long arms

Three-toed sloths’ arms are on average TWICE as long as their legs! Their very long arms are another advantage, because it means they can reach things without having to move forward (and burn more precious calories!).

10. They have extra bones in their neck

Most mammals have seven vertebrae in their necks, but three-toed sloths have nine. This means they can turn their heads 270°, which is the same as an owl! It allows them to search for predators without moving their bodies.

11. They have some interesting toilet habits

Both two- and three-toed sloths have a unique ritual when it’s time to go to the toilet. Sloths spend almost all of their time in trees, but when it’s time to use the bathroom (which happens about once a week), they move down to the forest floor. There are a few theories as to why they do this – some suggest they’ve evolved to fertilise the trees, others think it’s so that predators can’t track them easily. That’s a pretty big concern, given how much they, ahem, let go in one session. Sloths can poop ONE THIRD of their body weight (about 3.5 to 4.5 kg) at once!

12. Their eyesight isn’t great

Sloths have amazing head movement, but limited eyesight! They have something called rod monochromacy, which means they don’t have cone cells in their eyes. Cone cells are the things that give us colour vision, which means that sloths can’t see colour at all – they have limited vision in the dark and almost total blindness in bright light. They do have a fantastic sense of smell, though, and very good spatial awareness.  

13. They move faster in the water than on land

Surprisingly, given how much time they spend in the trees, sloths are actually pretty good in the water! Species which live near rivers, lakes and mangroves have been observed swimming in the water when moving between territories or looking for mates. When you think about it, it’s not too surprising – your arms are a big part of your swimming technique, and sloths have incredibly powerful arms!

14. Their main defence is clawing and biting

See those big claws? They’re not JUST for grabbing at food! When a sloth is faced with a predator their claws are their only form of defence. They can’t move quickly, and their bodies aren’t well adapted to upright movement. So, if a sloth is cornered by a predator, it will use its sharp claws in self-defence. Some males have also been seen using their claws to fight each other over territory and mating rights. This is also one of several reasons why it is NOT a good idea to approach a wild sloth or try to touch even a captive one – if they feel threatened, they WILL swipe at you, and fast!

15. They have some cool extinct cousins

Two- and three-toed sloths can be found in trees – but did you know there used to be sloths that lived on the land? Sloths have been around for about 65.5 million years, which is just before the dinosaurs went extinct. Some species of sloth have also disappeared over the years, and they could have given the dinosaurs a run for their money! These giant land sloths would have been VERY big – one species, the Megatherium, was about the size of an elephant! Three-toed sloths are more closely related to these massive mammals than their two-toed counterparts.