Sloths are some of the most fascinating creatures that are on the planet today. Many people know about how slow sloths tend to move. Some move so slow that moss can actually form on their fur. We can all learn a lot from these amazing creatures, so here are some interesting facts that you may not have known about them.
1. They’re Not Always Slow
Recent studies have shown that sloths are actually twice as active as people have perceived them to be. Most sloths will sleep for less than 10 hours per day and although they won’t travel long distances, if you’ve every seen a sloth climb a tree, you know that they can be pretty speedy when they choose to be.
2. Death Has No Grip
Sloths are known for their grip, which is so strong that it is even retained after the sloth has died. This is because of the intense muscle memory and development that occurs within the sloth over the course of its life. Because it has to hold onto tree limbs every day to maintain the balance of life, the grip doesn’t always release, even when there is no mental input telling it to keep hanging on.
3. How Many Toes?
Even two-toed sloths actually have 3 toes. The reason why the two-toed sloth got its name is because it only has two claws on its forelimbs instead of the standard three. It would be more accurate to call the two-toed sloth a “two fingered sloth,” which is actually what its original named happened to be from its Spanish discoverers.
4. It’s a Portable City
Many sloths have algae within their fur that regularly grows. It’s a symbiotic relationship that the sloth has with the algae, making it a portable city that helps to camouflage the animal during the growing season and provide food for local moth populations.
5. A Horror Movie In the Works
Some sloths can almost turn their heads around completely. We’re talking about a full 360 degree turn here. Imagine standing behind a sloth and having it turn just its neck so that it could stare you down. That can actually happen with certain species.
6. It’s the Metabolism, Silly
The reason why sloths tend to move slowly on most occasions is because their metabolism is extremely slow. It takes a long time for a sloth to digest the food that is eaten, which means a sloth has to eat a lot in order to get the slow trickle of vitamins and minerals that they need. This slow digestion process also means that the average sloth only needs to go to the bathroom just once per week.
Sloths have not always been seen as cute, awesome, or even useful. When they were first discovered, the average observer thought them to be quite ugly and useless. It’s probably a good thing that these initial discovers weren’t around when the Giant Sloths were roaming the Earth! We can learn a lot from these cool creatures and these facts are just a start.
