The Brazillian Three Toed Sloth

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The Brazilian Three Toed Sloth is the largest of the four species of sloths. They are called three toed because they have three digits on their arm. They are also known as the Maned Sloth. The Maned sloth has black fur that grows longer than the rest of the fur. Its mane starts from the nape of its neck and then runs down to its shoulders. This gives the sloth a mane like appearance. The Maned Sloth’s scientific name is Bradypus torquatus and they are in the Class Mammalia, Order Pilosa, and Family Bradypodidae. The sloth is only found in the coastal Brazilian Atlantic rain forest within the states of Bahia, Espirito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro. The sloths spend almost their entire lives high up in the rain forests tree’s canopy where most of the sunlight is. They are the funniest, cutest, and scariest animals in the world (in my opinion of course)! Their body shape is weird yet fascinating. They have a short torso, pudgy tail, long lanky arms with super long nails, and an extremely roundish head with a flat face which make them, super funny! They also have long ruffled fur, which feels hard. The fur is somewhat a grayish-brownish color that is stained green from algae being grown on them.

Since the Maned sloths spend almost their entire lives up in their trees canopy, they eat it’s leaves, twigs, shoots, fruits, and buds. They also get their water from the tree. Not only do they eat up there, but they also move around, sleep, find their significant other, mate, and raise their baby. Just like every single sloth, the Maned Sloth has an extremely slow metabolism, which also means they move extremely slow. That is why they rarely ever leave their trees. The only time they leave their precious trees is when they have to poop or to...

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... to take action to help save the Maned Sloth! They are spreading awareness about the destruction of their homes, putting them into protected areas, making passageways for them to travel safely, and more research on breeding technique.

Works Cited

ADW: Bradypus torquatus: INFORMATION. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Bradypus_torquatus/#5afe8fad8443808fc9b615c9e1fbe132

Bradypus torquatus (Maned Sloth, Maned Three-toed Sloth). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/3036/0

Ceiba Foundation - Sloths: Chew Your Food Slowly. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ceiba.org/articles/sloth.htm

Earlham-Biology226-Maned Sloth. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://legacy.earlham.edu/~debutka/supersloth.htm

EDGE :: Mammal Species Information. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=63

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