The Laid-back Life of the Three-Toed Sloth Quiz

Answer: in trees, rarely descending, spending days aloft

Sloths live in trees, eating, sleeping, hanging rightside up, hanging upside down, having babies, sometimes even clinging there after death. They're remarkably adapted, with necks that can turn like owls' necks, to see the world rightside up, and lungs and internal organs attached inside so they won't be a burden either rightside up or upside down. Their food is leaves, and their water can come from wet leaves. Their whole lifestyle is geared toward moving little, doing little, and staying as safe as possible in the treetops.

Answer: all sloths have three hind toes, but two-toed sloths have only two fingers (front digits)

All sloths have three toes on each hind leg, so the difference between two-toed and three-toed sloths is in the front toes only. Some people consider the sloth's front limbs to be arms rather than legs. Arms have hands, and hands have fingers, so they should be called fingers. And yes, some people, including those at the Sloth Conservation Foundation in Costa Rica, do exactly that, calling sloths two-fingered or three-fingered for more precision. But the change is catching on at the usual speed that things move in the sloth world.

Answer: algae and fungus growing on its fur

If a rolling stone gathers no moss, sloths are an example of a stone that doesn't roll fast enough. Each hair contains a groove to hold water and encourage algae and fungus growth. They're real-life chia pets, but the coloration helps them. Gray-green sloths blend into the leaves and the camouflage helps protect them from predators.

Answer: once a week, deposited on the ground

Sloths are safest from predators and closest to their food when they're in the treetops, but once a week, they expend all the energy and risk, just to climb down and poop under their favorite tree. Why? Scientists say the timing is due to slow digestion.

But they don't know why they climb down. The scientists don't know, I mean. Surely the sloths know. Scientists say it may have something to do with mating, pheremone signals and such, but we'll have to wait for more research, to get a definite answer.

Answer: it's a sign of an adult male

The speculum, as it's called, develops when a male reaches sexual maturity, at around 12 to 24 months of age. Its purpose isn't known for sure, but it's probably related to sexual selection.

Answer: beetles and moths

The small insects lay their eggs in sloth feces, and eat other life in the sloth's hair. The Sloth Conservation Foundation says 950 moths and beetles can live in a single three-toed sloth's fur, and some are types found nowhere else. There's a whole ecosystem taking advantage of the sloth's lazy grooming habits.

Answer: eyes open, holding onto mama, nibbling leaves within a week, grown up in a year

Sloth babies come out fairly well developed, though still drinking mother's milk like typical mammals. When the baby nibbles leaves near mama's mouth, it is learning which are safe and nutritious. Babies have an instinct to hold on, but are able to survive surprisingly high falls, up to 90 feet according to the Sloth Conservation Foundation. Mothers stay with their babies till they're grown, then give them the territory where they were born and move on.

Answer: an amazingly loud aye-ee sound, plus chirps

The maned three-toed sloth in Brazil, and maybe some other species, are called "ai" by their human neighbors, who hear their cry. It's uttered during mating season in particular. Baby sloths make adorable little noises that are in videos all over the internet, tempting people to adopt sloths, but don't do it. Wild animals don't fit well in human homes, especially when they grow up and start screaming "aye-ee."

Answer: the pygmy three-toed sloth is in most danger

The critically endangered pygmy three-toed sloth, Bradypus pygmaeus, is found on only one island near Panama and was identified as a separate species in 2001. Though smaller, they are similar to other three-toed sloths in appearance and behavior. The other three species may come and go on the endangered list, but the pygmy variety has such a limited habitat and small numbers, even at the larger estimates, that it will probably need to be watched for a long while.

Answer: yes, faster than they can walk

Three-toed sloths can swim quite well, using their strong arms to do a breast stroke. They can swim better than two-toed sloths, and better than they can walk. On the ground, they have to drag themselves forward with their front limbs, hooking the claws for leverage, but in the water, stroking with their arms, they can move three times faster. Their long flexible necks also help them keep their noses above water.