Species in Peril:
pigmy Three-toed sloth
This slow crawler is high on life
Slow-moving tree dweller
Found only on the Isla Escudo de Veraguas, the pygmy three-toed sloth is a tree-living mammal that can spend to up 15 to 20 hours in the canopy each day.
It moves at an extremely slow speed of .24 kilometers per hour making it one of the slowest animals in the world. The pygmy three-toed sloth lives in the mangroves and is surprisingly good at swimming.
Since their slow movements make them vulnerable to predators, sloths usually only descend to the ground when they need to urinate and defecate. They can go seven days without needing to.
A dwarf in size
Through the phenomena of island dwarfism, the pygmy three-toed sloth has become the world’s smallest sloth. The process happens when large animals evolve to having a reduced body size when the population’s range is limited to a small environment, like an island.
An adult only weighs between 5.5-7.7 pounds and measures 19 to 21 inches in length compared with an average sized sloth that usually weigh between 9 to 17 pounds.
A sloth's best friend
Sloths have a greenish hue. This is due to algae that grow on its fur. This provides protective camouflage for the sloth.
This symbiotic relationship is very important because camouflage is one of the pygmy three-toed sloth’s only defense systems from predators.
A Few More Facts About pigmy three-toed sloths
- The pygmy three-toed sloth’s home, Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Panama, is only 4.3 square kilometers and is uninhabited
- The pygmy three-toed-sloths are known for their remarkable healing ability
- The pygmy three-toed sloth’s large curve claw help it hold on to the branches
- There may be only 48 left
- The pygmy three-toed body temperature’s is heterothermic, meaning that it varies with the environment
How you can help!
If you want to be a part of the solution to save the three-toed sloths, please check out these 2 petitions:
Check out the following organizations that are working to save the pigmy three-toed sloths:
Species Name
Bradypus pygmaeus
Estimated Population
Approx. 48
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered
Range
Only found on Isla Escudo de Veraguas of Bocas del Toro which is located off the coast of Panama.
Reasons for Population Decline
Habitat degradation
Disease
