Or slow and steady wins the race? In a world filled with fast-paced living and bustling schedules, sloths symbolize a contrasting approach to life.
While cheetahs’ live life in the fast lane, sloths just take their own sweet time. On average, sloths travel 41 yards per day, less than half the length of a football field.
Sloths have a unique diet that consists mostly of leaves. And these leaves are not the energy powerhouses you’d expect. They’re more like leafy snacks with little nutritional value.
As a result, their metabolic rate is incredibly slow. In fact, sloths have the slowest metabolic rates of any mammal. While humans burn anywhere from 1,200 to 2,400 calories a day, sloths get by on a modest 40 to 140 calories.
A recent study in Peer Journal found that sloths can even press pause on their metabolism; which means they are the only mammal known to be capable of temporarily shutting down their metabolism without entering into a state of inactivity similar to hibernation.
Moving at a sloth’s pace is a survival strategy to conserve the little energy they get from their diet. It is kind of like if your car was low on gas, you would be slowly coasting your way to the next gas station.
Cold climates would definitely not be their thing. They’d burn way too much energy trying to keep warm. Their energy-saving ways are like a lizard sunbathing on a rock.
Sloths really like savoring a meal and have a specialized digestive system that breaks down the tough carbohydrates in the leaves they consume. It typically takes humans about a day to digest a meal; Sloth’s can take up to a month.
But don’t let this slow-moving life fool you into thinking sloths have little muscle mass. Sloths may not be winning any drag races, but they’re the undisputed pull-up champions. Thanks to their long arms and special shoulder joints, sloths effortlessly hang and support their entire body weight. They are three times stronger than your average human.
Sloths can spend 90% of their lives hanging upside down. Studies show this is possible because their organs are attached to their rib cage, therefore the organs don’t weigh down on the lungs. As a result, sloths can hang upside down without anything affecting their breathing.
Their slow and steady movements come in handy when dodging predators. A sloth’s algae-covered fur helps to camouflage them and their slow movements don’t tip off predators like jaguars and eagles.
Sloths call tall trees their home in Central and South America. There are two types of sloths, the two-toed and three-toed. This is confusing in a way, as both types have three claws, or ‘toes,’ on their hind limbs. So, the difference is found on their front limbs.
Sloths’ long claws make walking on land difficult, but they can move up to three times faster when they swim. They can also hold their breath for an impressive 40 minutes. They accomplish this by suppressing their metabolism to slow their heart rate to a third of its average speed.
Sloths possess a symbiotic relationship with the algae that grows on their fur. While the sloth provides the algae with shelter and water (as sloth fur is highly absorbent), the algae provide the sloth with camouflage and extra nutrients through the sloth’s skin.
The modern sloth is usually around the size of a medium-sized dog. Ancient sloths of a ‘few years ago’, known as ‘Megatherium,’ could grow as large as an Asian elephant! These giant sloths sometimes featured areas of small bone discs that would act as ‘armor plating’ for protection. They became extinct around 10,000 years ago.
Sloths have extra vertebrae at the base of their neck which allows them to turn their head on a 270° axis. They can obtain almost a 360° view of their surroundings, which is a highly beneficial defense mechanism. Sloths typically live quiet, sleepy lives. They sleep 8- 9 hours a day
So, next time you’re feeling a need for speed, our sloth friends remind us that slow and steady wins the race.
The season is upon us. No, not shopping for Christmas, but the season of the ‘Changing Of The Hours’. Sounds like the title of a good book. Just a reminder: Wedsworth library is changing to winter hours on Tuesday, September 5. Hours are: Monday 9-1; 2-6, Tuesday 9-1; 3-5, Wednesday – Friday 2-5.