- Warm greetings all
Let's learn more about this mammal SLOTH. The world slowest annimal. Sloth are solitary animals and they give birth to a single offspring once in a year. The baby sloth clings to the mother for the first 4-6weeks, it may also ride on her belly for 5-8 months, while the mother feeds the baby with easily digestible leaves from the mother lips. Latter the baby sloth grabs her own leaves without releasing it's grip on the mother. The mother Sloth will also familiarize the baby sloth with the range in which they live.
The sloth spends it's day suning itself in the tree canopy. The SLOTH body temperature can fluctuate from 24 degrees Celsius at night to 33 degrees Celsius during the day. The SLOTH temperature range is more than any other mammal. The SLOTH can sleep for 20 hours a day. Surprisingly the SLOTH is an excellent swimmer.
There are two kinds of SLOTH.
The three-toed Sloth has ablack mask around it's eyes, a coat of wiry hair, fore limbs that are much longer than its hind limbs, ayellow gold patch between its shoulders and a stubby tail. The three-toed Sloth has 9 vertebras in its neck, making it possible to rotate 270 degrees in search of its favorite leaves.
In contrast with the three-toed Sloth, the two-toed Sloth have forelimbs that are about the same size as the hind limb. They have a long brownish-gold and soft to touch hair.
Digestion requires body heat for bacterial activity and fermentation. The Sloth body temperature is incredibly low for metabolism. During the rainy season when it could be cold for many days, the sloth could die of starvation. Sloths only deficates and urinate once in a week. The only time they come down from the tree is only when they want to deficate- they dig a hole and bury the escrimate. This is the only reason you can see a Sloth on the ground.
Almost every thing Sloth do is they do it suspended in the tree--eat, sleep,mate and give birth. The little mammals are ingeniously designed for life in an upside down world. On the ground the Sloth is awkward and clummsy, but on the tree branches above it is an epitome of leisure grace.
Two things stands out with Sloths:
[1] The Sloth has amazing qualities to survive injuries, and even doses of poison which could be lethal to other mammals. They rarely become infected. Even severe wounds heal quickly. Medical researchers are studying the Sloth immune system.
[2] People who are constantly rushing and under stress can benefit from imitating the Sloth atleast to some extent.
Thanks for your time in reading through. Your opinions and suggestions are appreciated. Use the comment section.
