Three Toed Sloth Research Paper

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Three-Toed Sloth The three-toed sloth is a native of the rainforest canopies of Central and South America. There are three species of three-toed sloths: the pale-throated sloth, brown-throated sloth, pygmy three-toed sloth, and the maned sloth. The three-toed sloth is a member of the Bradypus and the Bradypodiate family. The three-toed sloth is also a folivore mammal, meaning they eat exclusively leaves. Because of their diet sloths are low on the trophic levels of their ecosystem. And they require a very slow metabolism. Lastly, sloths are relatives of the anteater and also the armadillo, contrary to what most think, monkeys and apes. Three-toed sloths are smaller than you might think too. They are only about nine pounds and about eighteen …show more content…

Reaching the high speed of 3 meters per minute in the trees and a cruising speed of 2 meters per minute along the ground. Surprisingly enough, sloths are fantastic swimmers. It is believed that they adapted this skill because they fall from their trees into rivers below from time to time. Their long arms are also contribute to their great swimming ability, as well as their talent of groping tree trunks to maneuver through the thick growth of the rainforests. Believe it or not, scientists have reported that there was once a species of aquatic sloths living on Earth millions of years ago. Although they are well known for their impressive swimming, sloths spend the vast majority of their lives on land, specifically in the trees, sleeping. They do leave the safety of their trees once a week to defecate. Scientists are not one hundred percent sure why they leave their tree to go, but there are two main theories. The first being that if they didn’t go to the ground and away from their tree, it would be loud causing their predators like jaguars and eagles to discover their location. The next is that they leave the tree and defecate to provide an area for the moths living on them an opportunity to leave their back and lay eggs in their feces. Also, sloths are K strategists that only have one baby at a time. Their mating process is very strange just like them. It starts with the females announcing to all

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