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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia – mammals
Order: Pilosa — group of placental mammals found in the Americas, including anteaters and sloths, and extinct ground sloths
Family: Megalonychidae – two-toed sloths
Genus: Choloepus – two-toed sloths
Species: Choloepus didactylus – southern two-toed sloth, Linnaeus's two-toed sloth, Linné's two-toed sloth
Species: Choloepus hoffmanni – Hoffmann's two-toed sloth
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Body Weight
4 to 9 kg (9 to 20 lb)
Body Length
540 to 740 mm (21 to 29 in)
Tail Length
23 ± 7 mm (about 1 inch) (C. didactylus)
Pelage
C. didactylus is uniformly brown. C. hoffmanni is lighter in color; pale throat, darker chest.
Gray-brown/tan hair during dry season. Tinted green in the wet season due to algal growth.
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Range
Choloepus didactylus: northern South America (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)
Choloepus hoffmanni: 2 separate populations—(1) Nicaragua, south to Venezuela and (2) northcentral Brazil, south to central Bolivia
Habitat
Tropical and cloud forests with tree crowns connected for tree-to-tree movement
IUCN Status
Least Concern (both species)
CITES Appendix
Choloepus didactylus: not listed
Choloepus hoffmanni: not listed
Populations in the Wild
Total populations not reported; see IUCN fact sheets for densities.
Population trends unknown.
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Locomotion
Slow, deliberate movement. Agile in trees; move by hooking claws onto branches. Can move on the ground, but can only drag themselves with claws and forelimbs for short distances. Excellent swimmers.
Activity Cycle
Nocturnal; activity begins about one hour following sunset and ceases about two hours before dawn.
Social Groups
Adults typically solitary, unless with mates or young. Females may feed in same tree.
Diet
Mainly plants—leaves, twigs, buds, fruit. Occassionally small mammals (rodents) and insects.
Predators
Preyed upon by Harpy Eagles, anacondas, jaguars, ocelots, and humans
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Sexual Maturity
Females: approximately 3 years of age
Males: approximately 4-5 years of age
Gestation
10 months
Litter Size
1
Interbirth Interval
15-16 months
Birth Weight
340-400 g (about 12-14 oz)
Age at Independence
10-12 months, but may remain with mother up to 2 years; weaned at about one month
Typical Life Expectancy
Managed care: median life expectancy of about 15 years
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Feature Facts
- In prehistoric times, sloths were found in the Americas (South, Central, and North Americas), the Caribbean, and Antarctica.
- Two-toed sloths do everything hanging upside down—eating, sleeping, mating and even giving birth!
- Unlike most mammals, a sloth's body temperature varies with temperature of environment; fur insulates; moving between sun and shade allows them to regulate their body temperature
- Four-chambered stomach is filled with bacteria, which helps ferment plant matter consumed
- Excellent camouflage and slow movements help them elude predators
- By eliminating waste near the base of trees, sloth fertilize the trees they live in
- Entirely dependent on forests; losing habitat to ranching, agriculture, loggind, and urban expansion
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliances newest two-toed sloth born April 19, 2019 to mom Xena.
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