Two-toed sloth

Summary

This unusual leaf-eating animal spends most of its solitary life hanging upside down from the forest canopy. Sloths eat, sleep, breed and nurse their young in this position but you can also see them sitting in the fork of a tree. Their hair flows back from the head and as the animal is almost constantly upside down, the body hair lies from belly to back so that the rain will run off.

Dietary

The two-toed sloth is an omnivore and eats leaves, fruits, and occasionally insects. At Bristol Zoo their diet consists of a salad of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Habitat

Toe-toed sloths live in the tropical rainforest of South America. They can be found hanging upside down high in the forest canopy.

Conservation

Being so slow moving, sloths are unable to escape if an area of forest is felled for agriculture or timber. They are often killed during logging operations. Little is known about their total population, but the forest in which they prefer to live is under significant threat.

IUCN Red List species link

Did you know...

Fun fact - sloths are actually much better at swimming than walking even though they spend almost all of their time in the trees. They use their strong fore feet to propel themselves through the water.

Where to find us at Bristol Zoo

You can find our two-toed sloths next to the main entrance/exit.