Special Sub-Topic: Two-Toed Sloths Click Here To Play: Two-Toed Sloths

Two-toed sloths belong to the order Edentata. What does this name mean?

without teeth. Although all of these things are true about two-toed sloths, the name only means "without teeth". The sloths, along with armadillos and anteaters, have no front, canine or incisor teeth. They only have peg like side teeth which contain no enamel and are continually growing. Because they do have teeth, some scientists have put them in the order Xenarthra which means "strange joints".

Are two-toed sloths nocturnal?

y. Unlike three-toed sloths which are more active during the day, two-toed sloths prefer the night. The sloths sleep 15 to 20 hours a day and wake at night to feed.

Where can two-toed sloths be found?

northern South America & Central America. Two-toed sloths live in rain forests in northern South America and Central America. Deforestation of rain forests is destroying the habitats of two-toed sloths but they are not in danger of extinction yet. Three-toed sloths can also be found in the rain forests. One species of three-toed sloth, the maned three-toed sloth, is an endangered species because of the loss of habitat from deforestation. Hopefully they will not become extinct.

What do two-toed sloths rely on for protection from predators?

camouflage. Two-toed sloths have and can do each of these things but they rely on camouflage for protection. Two-toed sloths have short fine fur which is covered by a coat of long coarse hairs. In these hairs are grooves that two species of algae grow in, coloring the sloth's fur. In dry weather the algae is yellow and in wet weather the algae turns blue-green in color. This camouflages the sloths to match the surrounding foliage from season to season. Since sloths are so slow and hardly move this is a great way to fool predators.

Can two-toed sloths walk on the ground?

n. Two-toed sloths are able to stand but they do not have the muscles needed to walk. Sloths can only move on the forest floor by pulling themselves along by their front claws. Amazingly, sloths can swim very well because they have adapted to the annual floods in the rain forests.

Two-toed sloths have an ancestor called the giant ground sloth. They lived around 10,000 years ago. About how big were these giant ground sloths?

size of an elephant. The ancestors of the two-toed sloths were very large, almost rivaling the mammoths. When standing on their hind legs, the giant ground sloths were as tall as modern day giraffes. The giant ground sloths survived very well through the Pleistocene period, which was part of the great ice age. Sometime after, for unknown reasons, they became extinct.

What is the only reason two-toed sloths will go to the ground?

to pass feces and urine. Slow metabolism and a compartmented stomach like cattle causes slow digestion of food. It can take a month to digest a single meal. This is why two-toed sloths only have to pass feces and urine once a week. The sloths will descend to the ground and dig a small hole at the base of the tree. When done, they will cover the hole with dirt and go back up the tree.

There are a couple of differences between two-toed sloths and three-toed sloths. Which one of these is not a difference?

hair that runs from belly to back. The hair is the same on both kinds of sloths. The hair runs this way because it helps rainwater to run off while hanging upside down. Two-toed sloths have 6-7 vertebrae while three-toed sloths have 9 vertebrae. The legs of two-toed sloths are about the same length while three-toed sloth's front legs are twice the length of their hind legs. Two-toed sloths have virtually no tail and three-toed sloths have a small tail.

There are three species of two-toed sloths.

f. There are only two species of two-toed sloths. They are the Choloepus didactylus or true two-toed sloth and the Choloepus hoffmanni or Hoffman's two-toed sloth. The only differences in these two species are markings and the color of their fur. There are three different species of three-toed sloths.

Two-toed sloths shiver to warm themselves when they are cold.

f. Two-toed sloths cannot shiver because they have no muscle mass. Like reptiles, they must warm up in the sun and then find a place to cool down. Two-toed sloths have the lowest and most varied body temperatures of all mammals. Their temperature is between 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. On cold nights, their temperatures can drop to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.