LIVE SLOTH WEBCAM

More info: There are six species of sloth, and they come in two varieties: two-toed and three-toed. Three-toed sloths are about the size of a medium-sized dog at around 8 kilograms and two-toed sloths are slightly bigger though they share many of the same features. Sloths are tropical mammals that live in Central and South America.

Hoffman’s two-toed sloths inhabit lowland forests as well as higher altitude rain forests, primarily in areas with good canopy cover. They use their long claws to hang onto branches while they feast on the leaves and fruit that other animals are unable to reach. The sloth's long claws make walking on the ground difficult, so they spend most of their time in the tall trees they call home. Sloths come down from the treetops only to defecate (which they do once a week), search for a mate or to establish new territory.

The sloths shaggy hair can grow to 15 cm. and where it covers the abdominal region it grows from the midline laterally so that the hair is parted. This allows rain and moisture to run off the sloths body, since they spend the majority of their time hanging upside down. Sloths have two coats, a softer inner coat and an outer coat that is longer and coarser in texture. During dry seasons the coat appears brown. When rainfall is high, the outermost coat takes up a green hue due to the growth of algae. This green colouration helps with camouflage.

The slow body movements of the sloth are actually an adaptation for surviving on a low-energy diet of leaves. Their digestive process is also slow and it can take food around 30 days to pass through the entire digestive system. Sloths sleep for around 15 to 20 hours a day and are nocturnal. They are solitary creatures that rarely interact with one another outside of the breeding season.