Brown-throated Sloth

• Its coat holds an ecosystem of its own — green algae and symbiotic moths — that gives it extra camouflage.
• It feeds mainly on the leaves of trees of the genus Cecropia.
• It lives in the canopy of tropical rainforest in Central and South America.
• comportamientoIt comes down to the ground only once a week to defecate, a high-risk habit that researchers suspect benefits the moths living in its coat.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)

Habitat & environment

Canopy of tropical rainforest in Central and South America

Birth weight

Under 1 kg at birth

Size at birth

Under 1 kg at birth

Sexual maturity

3-5 years

Gestation / incubation

5-8 months

Litter / clutch size

1 young per birth

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of up to 20-30 years

Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web (species); Wikipedia (Brown-throated sloth); Animal Diversity Web (genus Bradypus); Fact file Geography.org; Active Wild; Animal Fact Guide; Animal Corner

Best time: All year round in neotropical forest; it is easiest to find in cecropias and other open-crowned trees, where its outline stands out against the sky.