Scientific Name
Choloepus didactylus
Body Weight
4-8 kg
Body Length
46-86 cm
Habitat
Diet
Fun Facts
Southern two-toed sloths have slow metabolic rates so that they can live on small quantities of food, which consists of mainly vegetation. Digestion takes nearly a month and they discharge body waste only once a week. Being nocturnal, they move very slowly and sleep for more than 15 hours during the day.
Southern two-toed sloths live an upside-down life hanging from tree branches high up in the canopy. They maintain this position even when they eat, sleep or breed. They only come down to the ground for defecation or reaching another tree.
Distribution
Threats & Conservation
Threats & Conservation
Urbanisation & Infrastructure
Overexploitation of Biological Resources
Human Disturbance & Ecosystem Disruption
As southern two-toed sloths spend their life in trees, logging in rainforests destroys their habitats. As the forests retreat, these sloths are more exposed to illegal poaching.
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
CITES
Appendix II
Conservation
Protected under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) in Hong Kong.
Fun Activities
