Page 57 - World of Animals - Issue #31

The not-so-lazy sloth

A sloth’s grip is
incredibly tight thanks to
its well-adapted claws

A super-strong grip
How does the sloth cling to branches?
With their species divided in terms of how many
toes they have, and living on a diet made up of
leaves, twigs and buds, it is not surprising that
a sloth’s grip on branches and vines is one of its
main strengths. Their vice-like grip is so strong
that sloths have even been found still clinging to

branches a er they have died.
Their long claws are curved to fit the trees and

branches they cling to, and are surprisingly sharp –
they are also a sloth’s main defence, and can cause
damage with a swipe if the animal is attacked.
Sloths are born with long claws, as well as the

reflex to grip, which they use to climb to their
mother’s abdomen to feed a er birth. Within 25

days of being born, young sloths will also be able
to hang upside-down, and when they reach around

five months old, infants use their gripping ability to
start finding their own food away from their mother.

Sloths can do most things while they hang upside-
down, including sleeping, eating and mating. They
can even give birth this way!

Three things you didn’t It may look strange, but sharp,
long claws mean sloths

are o en more comfortable
know about sloths upside-down than not
They are surprisingly
strong swimmers
With all that hanging around
in the air, you might think
that sloths would be afraid
of going in the water, but
surprisingly they are actually
very strong swimmers. They
will even drop from trees
into rivers, and then swim
to shore.
They sometimes wear a
coat of green algae
It’s not high fashion, but the
algae coat that can form
on sloth fur is very useful. © FLPA, Alamy
Their slow movement
forms a symbiotic
relationship, giving the
plant somewhere to thrive
while also camouflaging

the sloth in the trees.
They aren’t all safe
Two of the six sloth species
are threatened: the pygmy
three-toed sloth is Critically
Endangered, while the
maned three-toed sloth
is Vulnerable. Their main
threat is deforestation,
which is destroying their
home and exposing them
to predators.

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