Three Toed sloth

Three-tied sloths are boreal mammals. They are known for their slow movement, long and course fur, and three claws on each limb.They also have round small heads and short snouts. Three toed sloths have an extra neck vertebrae that allows them to turn their heads almost 270 degrees.  They have a body length of a 45-75 cm and tiny tails that can be anywhere from 2-11 cm. Their fur can be light brown , grey, or yellow due to algae growth. The fur helps them to blend in with the rainforest canopy making them difficult to spot. Sloths are usually docile animals , meaning they’re non aggressive, but produce a high-pitched cry when agitated. 

You can find the three toed sloths in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. They are arboreal , meaning they live in trees.  They spend almost all of of their time in the canopy of the trees where they eat, sleep and mate, only to descend to defecate. Their range spans from southern Honduras through Panama and western Colombia, extending to the eastern coast of Brazil in the Atlantic Rainforest. As far as the subtropical forests , they can be found in various types, including lowland, cloud , and semi-deciduous forests. You can also find them in  cacao plantations.

Three toed sloths are primarily folivores, meaning they eat mostly leaves, with a diet that includes a variety of plant matter, including twigs, bugs and occasional fruits.  While often associated with the Cecropia tree, they consume leaves form a wide range of trees, including wild cashew, gumbo limbo and Harrison trees. Moths prefer to eat young, tender leaves, which contain lower levels of cellulose and toxins. Some sloths are also known to eat small stones and soil which may help with digestion and provide minerals and neutralize toxins. They have a slow metabolism , leading to a slow digestion rate, which means they can digest food for over a long period of time, sometimes even days or weeks. They have large multi-chambered stomachs that help them to digest the leaves. They obtain most of their water from the leaves and fruit they eat, often licking the water off of the leaves. 

Sloths are most vulnerable when they descend from the trees to defecate, as they are exposed on the ground. Deforestation and habitat fragmentation also increase  vulnerability to predation, as it reduces their food sources and shelter. Humans also pose a threat to sloths through hunting for mean and illegal pet trade. Besides humans,  three toes sloths have predators that include harpy eagles, jaguars, ocelots , spectacled owls and anacondas. While it is difficult to pinpoint exactly how many three toed sloths are remaining in the wild, there are fewer than 100. As a 2017 study suggested only 48 individuals remained and likely the number has decreased further.