Brown-throated Sloth

The brown-throated sloth is a species of three-toed sloth native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, and the most widespread of the three-toed sloths, known for its extremely slow movement, a result of an unusually low metabolic rate adapted to a low-energy diet of leaves. It spends nearly all its life hanging upside down in the forest canopy using long curved claws, descending to the ground only rarely, roughly once a week, to defecate. Algae often grows in its coarse fur, giving many individuals a greenish tinge that helps camouflage them among the leaves, and this algae supports a small ecosystem of moths and other invertebrates living in the sloth's coat. The species remains widespread across its range and is classified as being of least concern.