Facts about Sloths

Sloth Facts

Sloths are very slow when they move, but they are super cute!! Did you know that without the Extinct Giant Ground Sloth, we would not have avocados today? Yep, that is correct!! If you love avocados, we owe thanks to the extinct Ground Giant Sloths. They were one of a few mammals that could swallow a whole avocado, and the seed would come out in their waste. They would leave seeds wherever they traveled, and those seeds would turn into beautiful avocado trees. How cool is that?

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Facts about sloths:

1. Sloths may be slow, but they sure are strong! Sloths are about 3 times as strong as an average human. Sloths have potent arms!

2. Sloths are primarily nocturnal. They have very poor vision and can only see in black and white, which means they are color blind. They can’t see anything at all in bright lights and can barely see anything in dim lights.

3. Sloths spend most of their time in trees. Sometimes, they take a break from the trees and go for a swim. Sloths can move faster in the water than they can on land. They can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes underwater. Sloths are super incredible mammals.

4. Sloths have four stomachs and a large four-chamber stomach. It can take a sloth up to 1 month to digest a meal. Sloths have the slowest digestion time of any mammal.

5. Sloths live, on average, about 20 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity.

6. Sloths are classified as herbivores, but they have been known to eat bird eggs, lizards, fruits, and insects on occasion. Their main diet consists of leaves, twigs, flowers, and buds.

7. Sloths live in the rainforests of Central and South America.

8. There are six species of sloths, and they are divided into two groups: the two-toed and three-toed sloth.

 

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Books about sloths:

1. Sensory Seeking Sloth: by Jennifer Jones

2. Sloths (Nature's Children) by Josh Gregory

3. A Little Book of Sloth by Lucy Cooke

4. Sloan the Sloth Loves Being Different: by Misty Black

Parents ensure books are child-friendly before reading them to their/children.