17 amazing facts about sloths — idle and magnificent

Did you know that sloths sleep only about ten hours a day? And that they can swim? You still don't know a lot about these cute animals!

Although sloths have a reputation for being lazy and slow animals, they sleep only about ten hours a day.

The predators that threaten them are eagles, snakes and jaguars, but sloths are well protected because they spend most of their time in trees.

Sloths are two—toed or three-toed - two-toed slightly larger.

Their diet consists mainly of leaves, and it is not very nutritious. That's why sloths move so slowly — in order to conserve energy.

When the female is ready to breed, she lets out a cry. Males available nearby go to this cry.

Baby sloths hang on their mother's stomach for the first couple of weeks after birth, and then stay next to their mother until they are four years old.

Algae grow in the wool of sloths, which helps them to disguise themselves from predators.

Sloths descend from trees solely for the purpose of going to the toilet — and they always go to the same place. It happens once a week.

Sloths are arboreal animals, i.e. they spend almost all their lives in trees.

Sloths live in the rainforests of Central and South America.

Three-toed sloths can turn their heads almost 360 degrees!

Despite their similarity to monkeys, sloths are relatives of anteaters and armadillos.

The dwarf three—toed sloth is an endangered species, they are found only on the small island of Escudo de Veraguas near the coast of Panama.

Two—toed sloths are nocturnal animals, and three—toed sloths are diurnal.

Extinct species of sloths were the size of an elephant!

Sloths have a very slow digestive system, sometimes the digestion process takes up to a month.

Sloths are surprisingly good swimmers. Just look at this baby!