#KnowledgeBomb - Three-toed Sloth

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @JenSquard

Sloths are so super cool, and I tend to give preferential love to the three-toed sloth, rather than the similar two-toed sloth.  They actually aren't even that closely related, and scientists believe that they evolved their tree-swinging lifestyle separately.  Amazing.  The two-toed sloth is quite a bit bigger, has only two toes on their front feet, and don't harbor the algae in their fur that makes the three-toed sloth so dang adorable.

Three-toed sloths are smaller than you might think - like the size of a big cat.  They have three super long curved claws on their front feet to help them hang from trees.  They spend over 90% of their time up in the trees, because they can't move fast on land which makes them an excellent tasty snack to local tough guys.  They can't walk because of those gnarly claws, so they have to drag themselves around, but they can swim pretty well, which is just amazing to see. 

Three-toed sloths are sooooo incredibly slow moving that green algae grows on their fur, making them actually turn a greenish color.  Not such a bad thing - totally makes them blend in better.  Another awesome thing about them (and I read this in my tropical ecosystems book like 6 years ago, so hopefully I'm remembering it right) is that they take forever to digest their food, like forever and ever.  They come down from their tree to poop, and poke a hole in the ground at the base of their tree with their nubby little tail, and take their digger there, which fertilizes their home.  How frickin awesome is that?

So yeah, they're pretty rad.  They sleep a ton, eat fruit and tree bits, and hang out.  Literally.  So frickin cute I want to just kiss them right on their green face.  Seriously, do a google image search real quick and you will fall in love, too. 

And hey! I'm on Twitter! @JenSquard