Description
Scientific name: Choloepus didactylus
Life span: Up to 27 years in captivity
The two-toed sloth is the slowest animal on the planet. They have a body length of about 20- 30 inches. Their neck is composed of only 7 vertebrae. The head is small and has large eyes, and primitive ears. They have four long limbs but their paws have only two large curled claws. They have long, brownish-gray hair that curls from their stomach to their back. They have sharp and small teeth while hard lips help them to shear and tear food. They prefer to eat small twigs, crops, leaves, and berries.
Native Region/Habitat
The two-toed sloth is native to Brazil, Central America, Peru, and Northern South America. They inhabit tropical canopies and forests.
As Pet
Behavior/Temperament
Sloths spend the majority of their time sleeping at night in their native environments, while in captivity sloths may alter their sleeping patterns and spend more time awake throughout the day. These sluggish creatures detest being stroked, combed, or washed. They don’t exhibit evidently visible indicators of stress like the majority of other animals do. Instead, when they feel danger, they instinctively stop moving. Because of this, it may be challenging to determine when it is fearful or disturbed. It may use its razor-sharp claws and teeth to defend itself in specific situations, which might result in severe harm. In captivity, this can take place when people or other animals act violently.
Care/Grooming
Sloths require a lot of trees or other supports in captivity in order to spend the day hanging. Sloths may easily be wounded, thus they should be maintained in a safe cage for their protection even if they pose no threat to individuals or pets who maintain their distance. Place climbing poles, logs, and twigs for crawling close to one another inside a sloth enclosure. Sloths don’t hop from one tree to another.
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