
2-toed sloth
Maggie
is a 2-toed sloth, which is similar but different
from a 3-toed sloth in many ways. Both have 3
toes on their hind legs, but where they differ
is in the claws on the forearm and neither really
has any toes. They only have claws in which they
can hang from so they spend their whole life upside-down
making them arboreal. When they need to go to
the ground they have to drag themselves to their
destination because they can't walk, but they
are good swimmers. A sloth is the slowest moving
mammal, which is also its main defense. Their
hair is shorter and soft underneath and the outer
hair is long and coarse with tiny grooves that
allow blue-green algae to grow. The algae can
provide nutrients for them, a home for moths,
and camouflages them in the trees; which along
with their slow movement keeps them hidden from
predators. Sloths are considered nocturnal and
will sleep up to 20 hours a day, but for the few
hours they are awake they eat plants and fruits
making them herbivores. It has also been said
that sloths have a special ability to heal quickly,
which proves useful because they have also been
known to fall from heights of over 60 feet.
Arboreal
- An animal that lives mostly in the trees.
Nocturnal
- An animal that sleeps during the day and is
awake during the night. They usually have big
black eyes that allow them to see in the dark.
Herbivore
- Plant eating animal.
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2-toed sloth |