Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloth

The Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloth is native to tropical rainforests in northern South America. These habitats are rich in the sloth’s favorite foods: flowers, leaves, fruits, and the occasional lizard or insect. Sloths are well-suited for life in the trees and rarely descend to the forest floor.

All sloths lead a slow-paced lifestyle, traveling as little as 41 yards in a single day. They have a low metabolic rate, which means they require less food than other mammals their size.

The Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloth sleeps at least 15 hours a day!

While the Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloth has a fairly limited distribution, other sloth species are found from southern Brazil all the way up to Costa Rica. These species include the Hoffman’s Two-Toed Sloth, Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth, Maned Sloth, Brown-Throated Sloth and Pale-Throated Sloth.

Despite their sluggish nature, sloths are surprisingly strong swimmers. They use their long, muscular arms to propel themselves across bodies of water.

Diet: Flowers, leaves and fruits