Sloths ( Folivora ) are tropical mammals that inhabit Central and South America. These animals use their long claws to hang from branches while feeding on leaves that other mammals cannot reach. In addition, as they have such long claws (they measure between eight and ten centimeters) they find it difficult to walk on the ground, which is why they spend most of their time in the tallest trees in the jungle.
There are six species of sloths and, in addition, they are divided into two different varieties: two-toed and three-toed. Three-toed sloths reach about the size of a medium dog, that is, between fifty and sixty centimeters. In addition, they weigh about 8 kilograms. In contrast, two-toed sloths are slightly larger, although they share the same characteristics.
Another curiosity about sloths is that thousands of years ago they were much larger, as the San Diego Zoo says. In fact, the sloths of ancient times could have reached the same size as an elephant. They mostly inhabited North America and became extinct about 10,000 years ago.
On the other hand, these mammals have a life expectancy of twenty or thirty years in the wild, although in captivity they can live up to forty years or even more. If you want to discover more curiosities about sloths, take a look at the following gallery.
