Don't Hurry, Be Happy! The Book of Sloths

Don’t Hurry,
Be Happy!
By E.Lukina

Sloths are adorable
lethargic animals living in treetops.
They spend much of their
time snoozing and remaining
hidden from
predators.
Sloths are located in forests
of Brazil and Panama.
They live solitary lives and
travel from tree to tree using
canopy vines.
Baby sloths
seem to talk more
often than adult sloths.
A baby sloth may sound
like a tiny lamb, making
a baaa sound.
If agitated, its cry is
more of a squee
sound.
On average,
sloths travel 41 yards
per day - less than half
the length of a
football field!
Sloths have
an extremely low
metabolic rate, which means
they move at a languid, sluggish
pace through
the trees.

Sloths sleep for about 15
hours per day. That leaves
only nine hours to lumber
through the trees.
Sloths maintain a low
body temperature
of about 86°F-93°F
and move in and out
of shade to regulate
their body
temperature.
Female sloths
give birth to one baby
a year after a gestation
period of six months.
The baby sticks with
the mother for about
six months.
This is an important
bonding period that
helps the baby learn
and develop.
When baby sloth leaves its
mom after about six months,
it continues to communicate
with the parent
through calls.

Sloths munch on leaves,
twigs and buds. They trim
down leaves by smacking
their firm lips together.
A low metabolic rate means
sloths can survive on
relatively little food; it takes
days for them to process what
other animals can digest
in a matter of hours.
Sloths are also strong
swimmers. They will
sometimes drop down
from their treetop
perches into water
and use their arms
to propel through
the water.
Sloths spend a
majority of their time
up in the canopy,
coming down only
one time per week
to relieve
themselves.
The trees provide a
natural protection from
predators and it is safer for
them to remain motionless
and camouflaged
off the ground.
They will, however,
venture down
on rare occasions
to find more food
or a mate.

References:
www.worldwildlife.org
www.slothoftheday.com