The slowest terrestrial mammal

Bradypus tridactylus, the pale-throated sloth, belongs to the supraorder Edentata, just like the armadillo and the anteater.

  • Ground speed: 2.44m/min (0.105km/h), although it increases slightly when climbing trees using its 3 long claws, reaching 4.57m/min (0.272km/h).

  • Its neck has a great mobility, it can turn it almost 360º.

  • It almost never descends to the ground, as being so slow it is an easy prey. If it is attacked, it lays on its back and defends itself with its claws.

pale-throated-sloth-mammals-animals-biodiversity-bradypus-tridactylus
The pale-throated sloth is extremely slow, so much so that it becomes easy prey for many predators. Ingrid Maceda
  • It lives in tropical America, it is solitary and feeds on fruits and leaves. Despite its slowness it swims well and can cross rivers.

  • It spends most of its life sleeping hanging on branches, where it camouflages among the leaves especially in the rainy season when a brown algae grows among its hair, giving it a brown color.

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