Sloths: Enjoying Life in the Slow Lane - TGB Charity
Issue
2021.10.20
Sloths: Enjoying Life in the Slow Lane

Noted for their slowness of movement, sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside-down in the trees of tropical rainforests in South America and Central America. Sloth fur is home to a whole ecosystem or community of living things. They are an integral part of tropical rainforest ecosystems. However, ongoing destruction of its habitat and illegal animal trade have caused a sharp decrease in sloth populations over the years. 


Just like any other day of celebration, sloths deserve their own day! This World Sloth Day, TGB Charity has partnered with Toucan Rescue Ranch to release a short video “3 Things You Didn’t Know About Sloths”. In the video, you will find interesting facts about sloths and the threats they are currently facing. Find out more videos about endangered species from TGB Charity’s Wildlife Caring series.

Why Do Sloths Move So Slow?

Sloths lost the ability to see well in their early evolutionary history. They have a rare condition called rod monochromacy, which basically means that they are color-blind, and are completely blind in bright daylight. Their bad eyesight plays a big part in their slowness. 


Luckily, sloths develop a great spatial memory and phenomenal sense of smell to compensate for their poor eyesight. This allows them to freely navigate around their home ranges and be more vigilant towards their surroundings.

A Walking Ecosystem

Sloths have an entire ecosystem living in their fur made up of different species of algae, fungi, moths, and insects – some have not been found anywhere else in the world! Tiny animals burrow into a sloth’s fur to feast on the algae that grow there.
Hundreds of invertebrates, algae, and fungi can be found on sloths.


Studies in 2014 revealed that exclusive fungi found in sloth’s fur are bioactive against strains of the parasites that cause malaria, Chagas disease, and some human breast cancer cells. 

Stronger Than They Look

If you were to arm-wrestle a sloth, the sloth would win every time. Most people do not know this, but sloths are exceptionally strong. Despite having 30% less muscle mass compared to other similar-sized mammals, sloths are actually three times stronger than the average human. Their specialized muscle arrangement allows their muscle mass to concentrate to the areas where it is most important, which in turn increases their stamina. 

Toucan Rescue Ranch

Founded in 2004, Toucan Rescue Ranch is a licensed non-profit organization in Costa Rica. Their works include wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and breeding programs, and ultimately release the animals back to their natural habitat. 


TGB Charity loves the rainforests and our smiley sloths.


Find out more interesting facts about sloths:
https://youtu.be/WpYjNmoe7UI


Find out more about TRR and their works:
https://toucanrescueranch.org/


Check out TGB Charity “Love for All Kinds” fundraising page here. Learn more about endangered species and why it is essential for us to protect them.

Sources:

https://amazonaid.org/species/three-toed-sloth/
https://www.amnh.org/about/press-center/shaking-up-the-sloth-family-tree
https://www.conservation.org/blog/5-rainforest-species-that-could-save-your-life
https://www.forestfloornarrative.com/blog/2019/8/2/the-hidden-microbiome-of-sloth-fur-and-its-potential-pharmaceutical-bioactivity
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/61925/47444229
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0084549
https://sciencenorway.no/botany-evolution-plants/why-does-the-avocado-have-such-huge-seedsmeet-the-plants-that-have-lost-their-enormous-partners/1772701
https://slothconservation.org/10-incredible-facts-about-the-sloth/
https://www.slothsanctuary.com/research/the-sloth-invertebrate-ecosystem
https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/news/10-facts-about-sloths-natures-slowest-animals 

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