Sloths v. Armadillos Trivia Quiz

Answer: Both

Placental mammal sounds more formal and fancy than necessary. It simply refers to warm blooded creatures with some hair who give birth to live young. Both sloths and armadillos meet these criteria.

Answer: Sloth

Sloths in the wild are primarily found in northern South America and Central America. They primarily live in forested areas up in the trees. In fact, they typically only come down from those trees once every several days. Their very physiology reflects this arboreal lifestyle: their limbs are designed to hang from tree branches rather than support their torsos from underneath.

They even only climb down from the trees about once every eight days to defecate.

Answer: Both

Both sloths and armadillos have longish claws though for somewhat different reasons. Sloths have claws that can dig into the trunks and branches of trees. By comparison, armadillos can use their claws to dig into the ground to create a den in which to sleep or give birth.

Answer: Both

The were several species of ground sloths that were larger than the modern species. Some of the extinct species were as large as elephants. Likewise, armadillos also had multiple species that were the size of elephants. Both animals lost their larger members about 12,000 years ago.

Answer: Both

Sloths have a low metabolism, at about half of the rate one would estimate for animals about their size. Sloths also have low body temperature - 86-93 degrees Fahrenheit (30-34 degrees Celsius). Their temperature can go even lower if the sloth enters a state of torpor.

Like sloths, armadillos have relatively low body metabolism compared to other mammals. Their internal body temperature is somewhat higher than sloths at 91-97 degrees Fahrenheit (3-37 degrees Celsius). Both have an internal body temperature somewhat lower than the average human.

Answer: Armadillo

Sloths can be found through Central America and northern South America. Armadillos can be found in a large part of South America, as well as parts of North America.

Answer: Armadillo

Armadillos largely live on the ground. Their relatively short legs move relatively quickly on the ground. They are also better at moving through water than you'd think, being able to hold their breath for several minutes at a time.

Answer: Armadillo

The armadillo gets its name from the armor it wears. The armor is formed from overlapping plates of dermal bone. Some armadillos have an additional method of protection, as they are able to roll their bodies up into circular shapes.

Answer: Both

Sloths can see in color but don't see well. Their sense of hearing is not good. Their sense of smell is better than either. Likewise, armadillos have poor eyesight compensated for by a better sense of smell.

Answer: Sloth

Cecilia is a genus of trees that can be found in the tropics of the Americas and includes about 61 species. Three-toed sloths are mostly herbivores, eating the leaves of the trees where they live. Two-toed sloths are more omnivorous, including insects and lizards in what they eat. Armadillos, by comparison, have a diet that is largely insects and other invertebrates, though their diet can sometimes include plants.