How Sloths Swim
The sloth may be the slowest mammal on earth (around 0.15 km/h), but its slowness turns out to be the ultimate weapon of survival in an inhospitable jungle filled with predators. You see, when algae and fungi develop on a sloth’s fur, the animal b. Can sloths swim? Actually, sloths are good swimmers. They can move three times as fast in the water as they do on land. They sometimes fall directly from rain forest trees into rivers and stroke efficiently with their long arms. Aug 27, 2019 - Sloths swimming. Sloth swimming video. Three toed sloth swimming. Pygmy sloth swimming. Video sloth swimming. Are sloths good swimmers? How fast can sloths swim? Can sloths swim? Sloth swimming speed. See more ideas about sloth, three toed sloth.
A Saving Sloths Together project update:
Sloths are best known for their chill demeanor high up in the trees. My personal favorite pastime is to watch them scratch their faces while hanging upside down from their feet with such skillful ease. It brings you to a place where you also feel relaxed…it’s almost as if you can imagine yourself high in the sky alongside them without a care in the world. But in addition to mastering the art of slow and deliberate climbing, did you also know that sloths are great swimmers? There is a rumor going around that only three-fingered sloths can swim…but it is not true…both types of sloths (two-fingered and three-fingered) are excellent swimmers! If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense for sloths to be good at swimming. Their entire life is centered around conserving energy and taking the path of least resistance. All of the habitats where they call home have the potential of having bodies of water nearby: mangroves, rivers, lakes and oceans. To not be able to swim would mean certain death if they happen to fall into any of these waters. In addition, it is a great way to cross open spaces or travel further distances downstream. Their ability to swim is instinctual and they also immediately hold their breath as soon as their face goes underneath, they all know these skills from birth…but practice makes perfect and helps to condition them to not be afraid of the water.
When rehabilitating sloths for release we have to think about their ability to locomote through the forest, including their ability to swim. So how is this talent affected when a sloth is injured and loses a limb…like an arm? Socorro is a one armed, two-fingered sloth. A few months ago she was hit by a car while trying to cross the street. Rushed to the Toucan Rescue Ranch clinic in Heredia, her life was saved, but her arm was unfortunately lost. Amazingly, she recovered really well and really quickly. She was an excellent climber and was eager to get back out into her forest home, so we fitted her with a VHF tracking collar and let her go with our Saving Sloths Together team following her through the forest every day. However, with the rainy season approaching, the river waters were rising and we became concerned that Socorro may not fare well if she falls into the river. We know all two-armed sloths can swim…but can a one-armed sloth swim?
Sloth Holding Breath
Check out the video below to see the answer!
What is the Saving Sloths Together Project?
How Far Can Sloths Swim
In 2017 Toucan Rescue Ranch and The Sloth Institute came together to form Saving Sloths Together (SST), a Costa Rica wide project seeking to provide greater opportunity for sloths in need. By combining each organization’s skills and knowledge we are able to improve the process of sloth rescue, rehabilitation and release in Costa Rica. This partnership utilizes scientific expertise, dedication, passion and decades of experience to provide the very best program for every sloth needing help at gaining a second chance at a life in the wild.
In honor of Slothy Sunday, Sam Trull of The Sloth Institute shares five sloth fun facts.
1. All sloths are excellent swimmers. They instinctively know how to swim once they hit the water. This ability makes a lot of sense, because the tropical environments where they live include various bodies of water (rivers, oceans, etc). Besides not wanting to drown, swimming may be the most efficient way to cross gaps in the forest canopy.
2. Sloths have a special species of moth that lives only in their hair. In addition to the moths, their hair is like its own ecosystem: hosting algae, fungus, various parasites, beetles and more! All very good reasons to not touch a sloth!
3. The two kinds of sloths (two-fingered and three-fingered) have been evolving separately for over 40 million years. They are the most extreme example of convergent evolution in mammals. Convergent evolution is when two species evolve similar traits because of time spent living in similar environments — not from a common ancestor. This makes them about as closely related as we are to capuchin monkeys!
4. Sloths aren’t lazy, dumb or clumsy. They are actually super efficient and excellent climbers. Somehow, a rumor got started that sloths are so dumb that they will mistake their arm for a branch! This is certainly not true. They are meticulous climbers with excellent spatial memory, and while they do often fall, their skeletal structure is built to withstand falls from very tall heights. I have personally seen a sloth fall from over 20 meters without a single scratch!
5. Sloth squeaks aren’t actually “cute” to sloths (or human surrogate sloth moms)! Baby sloths only vocalize when they are terrified because they are alone and desperate to find their mother. It represents a sudden/accidental separation between mom and baby and is a sign that the baby is extremely stressed. In the rehab process, we try to make sure that the orphaned sloths have a safe environment to practice their climbing skills and are never forced into a situation that makes them cry. That kind of stress isn’t good for their health and isn’t necessary for them to learn how to be wild. In fact, it likely makes it take longer for them to gain the necessary confidence to explore and become independent. Babies who feel safe and secure grow up to be confident adults.
— Sam Trull is the Sloth Director and Co-Founder of The Sloth Institute Costa Rica
The Sloth Institute is a partner of Toucan Rescue Ranch assisting with the Saving Sloths Together program. To learn more about The Sloth Institute, please visit theslothinstitutecostarica.org
Click here to purchase “Sloth Love,” a book with intimate portraits of captivating and endearing sloths from Sam Trull’s unique perspective.