![]() ![]() Although their large curved claws help them immensely in the treetops, they make traveling on the ground very difficult. Once a week, brown-throated three-toed sloths descend from the rainforest canopy to urinate and defecate. This allows for greater rotation, which helps the sloth scan for predators like spectacled owls, harpy eagles and snakes. They have nine cervical vertebrae (the bones in the spine that support the head), as opposed to the seven that most mammals have. They can turn their heads up to 300 degrees due to their unique neck structure. But interestingly, even two-toed sloths have three toes per foot! The difference is that they only have two claws on each.īrown-throated sloths have the ability to rotate their heads like owls. ![]() Brown-throated three-toed sloths, as you may have guessed, have three toes and three claws per foot. In addition, sloths have large curved claws to help them effortlessly grasp branches and vines, and hang comfortably while they eat and sleep. The orientation of their fur helps the rain water flow away from their body. This is because sloths themselves usually hang upside down. Their fur hangs upside down, running from their stomachs to their backs. Sloths are specially adapted to live among the treetops. It takes two weeks for a sloth to digest one meal - the slowest digestion time of any mammal! Their stomachs are multi-chambered, similar to a cow’s stomach, and house a mix of bacteria which helps to slowly break down the leaves. But sloths have developed a digestive system to handle these highly indigestible leaves. These leaves are also full of toxins (a form of protection for the rainforest trees). Brown-throated sloths primarily eat tough, rubbery rainforest leaves. Sloths evolved to expend very little energy because their diet does not provide them with a lot of calories and nutrition. The term sloth is synonymous with the word slow, and sloths certainly live up to that definition. The brown-throated three-toed sloth is a truly unique animal that inhabits the rainforest canopies of Central and South America. ![]()
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