Three-toed sloth

A quiet life high in the tropical forest.

🦥 Discover the sloth

The three-toed sloth lives in the tropical forests of Central and South America. High in the tree canopy, it moves slowly and conserves as much energy as possible.

🔎 At a glance

• Habitat: tropical forests of Central and South America
• Lifestyle: largely arboreal
• Diet: mainly leaves
• Characteristic: three toes with long claws

🌎 Where does it live?

The three-toed sloth lives in warm, humid forests where it spends almost its entire life among the branches.

🍃 What does it eat?

Leaves form an important part of its diet. A low-energy diet suits its slow metabolism.

🌳 How it lives

The three-toed sloth moves calmly through the tree canopies and spends a lot of time hanging from branches. Its body is strongly adapted to this lifestyle.

✨ Unique about this animal

Its slow way of life is a clever strategy to conserve energy. It is a beautiful example of how an animal can adapt to its environment.

💡 Did you know?

• The three-toed sloth has three long claws on each front paw.
• It spends almost its entire life in trees.
• Algae can grow in its fur, giving it a greenish tint.
• A slow metabolism helps conserve energy.

🌿 Threats & protection

Deforestation and fragmentation of tropical forests are major threats to sloths. Protecting contiguous forest areas helps the species and countless other animals.

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