The Slowest Animal on Planet | Sloth

Welcome back to my blog, ^-^
It's been a while for me to not post something.
Today we gonna learn about biology, but in the fun way.

I guess you already read the title...
Yup.. we gonna learn about this beautiful animal, who had recorded as the slowest animal on the planet.
Maybe for you who loved cartoon movie, you know this animal...

(source:zootopia movie)

You knew him as Flash ^-^











Let's find out who is Flash in a scientific way!

A. Classification

Sloths—the sluggish tree-dwellers of Central and South America—spend their lives in the tropical rain forests. They move through the canopy at a rate of about 40 yards per day, munching on leaves, twigs and buds. Sloths have an exceptionally low metabolic rate and spend 15 to 20 hours per day sleeping. And surprisingly enough, the long-armed animals are excellent swimmers. They occasionally drop from their treetop perches into water for a paddle.

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Pilosa
Suborder:	Folivora

(source:wikipedia.com)

In total there are 6 species of sloths. These are split into two groups: the two-toed sloths and the three-toed sloths.

There are two species of two-toed sloths and there are four species of three-toed sloths.

There used to be more species of sloths, but they’ve become extinct either through natural causes or mankind destroying their environment.

Two-toed sloths are mostly nocturnal creatures, where as three-toed sloths are mostly diurnal.

B. Life Cycle 

Gestation

The gestational period varies slightly from species to species. The pale-throated three-toed sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) has an average gestational period of four and a half months, the pygmy three-toed sloth’s (Bradypus pygmaeus) is six months (see ref 5) and the Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) gestates for a period of 11 and a half months. On average, all sloth species give birth to a single offspring once each year.

Birth

Built for life in the trees, sloths mate and give birth in the treetops and often upside down. During the precarious birth, the expectant mother pulls the infant from between her hind legs while other sloths aid in cleaning the upside-down infant and ensuring that it does not fall. Newborn sloths are small—the average new Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth weighs 14 ounces—and they cling to their nearly stagnant mother’s belly for a period of weeks or even months before they have the strength to move on their own.

Adolescence

Young sloths rely on their mothers for nurturing, protection and food; male sloths do not assist in child-rearing. After the infant stage of belly-to-belly nurturing, the young sloth begins to feed on foliage itself. A juvenile maned three-toed sloth (Bradypus torquatus) remains with its mother for up to a year, while she carries it during her feeding and travel. The brown-throated three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) stops clinging to its mother after weaning, around 4 months, though the mother still aids in learning and exploration.

Adulthood

All sloth species sexually mature between the ages of 2 and 5 years. A female Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth reaches sexual maturity at the age of 3 and males mature between the ages of 4 and 5. A full-grown, sexually mature Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth weighs between 8 and 18 pounds and measures around 25 inches long. The maned three-toed sloth matures a bit earlier than its cousin. Males and females alike become sexually mature between the ages of 2 and 3 years, when they reach full-grown adult size and their reproductive organs have developed accordingly. Smaller than the two-toed sloths, an adult maned-three toed sloth weighs roughly 8 pounds and measures around 18 inches long. Life expectancy varies slightly among sloth species, but most live on average 20 to 30 years in the wild and a bit longer in captivity.

for more infomation you can watch : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmRviyqNWNE