Two Toed Sloth at Science Camp - information, care, facts

Though they resemble each other in many respects, two toed sloth and three toed sloth differ, both externally and internally. The two-toed sloth, has no tail, and only two claws on the front feet. The three-toed sloth, has a tail, and three claws on all the feet. The muzzle of the two toed sloth is longer, the front more elevated, and the ears more apparent than those of the three toed sloth. Their hair is also very different. The most remarkable internal distinction is that the two toed sloth has forty-six ribs, and the three toed sloth has only twenty-eight. For comparison the elephant has only forty ribs, the horse thirty-six, the badger thirty, the dog twenty-six and humans have twenty-four ribs.

Sloths mate and give birth while hanging in the trees. Young two-toed sloths are often seen clinging to their mothers; they travel by hanging onto them for the first five weeks of their lives.

On land, sloths' weak hind legs provide no power and their long claws are a hindrance. They must dig into the earth with their front claws and use their strong front legs to pull themselves along, dragging their bellies across the ground. If caught on land, these animals have no chance to evade predators, such as big cats, and must try to defend themselves by clawing and biting.

Though they couldn't be clumsier on land, sloths are surprisingly good swimmers. They sometimes fall directly from rain forest trees into rivers and stroke efficiently with their long arms. This information was taken from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com

At Cub Creek Science Camp we have three sloths. Sara and William are housed in The Jungle area of the ranch and Fred is in the Habitats part of the Animal Learning Center. Although almost everything that you read will tell you that sloths are very slow, Sara can be surprisingly quick and agile. She will come to you, moving from branch to branch quicker than most would think in order to get a special treat of sweet fruit. When it is time to eat all the sloths will eagerly take fresh fruits and vegetables from our campers as they learn to care for the sloths during our summer Science Camp Adopt an Animal program.