It reminded me of why I came to such a biodiverse country and how much the world has to offer. There are so many different countries and ecosystems and amazing creatures like the sloth, for example, just waiting to be studied, observed and understood by students like you and me! Studying abroad has opened my eyes to how diverse the world really is, especially as an animal lover!
As I mentioned before, this species can be found throughout Central and South America, as far north as Honduras, and all the way down to Brazil. This species is very abundant and lives in many different habitats, but I have seen the most in my time here near the Caribbean coast. They do all, however, live high in the trees and only come down about once a week to defecate.
The green tint that comes from algae is a great example of a symbiotic relationship. In biology, a symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two organisms that each organism benefits from. In this scenario, the algae have a great habitat to grow and be protected in, while the sloth uses the green tint as a camouflage and nutrient source. Another similar example is the fungi that also live in the sloth's fur, which has been understood to fight diseases the sloths may be susceptible to like malaria.
Because the sloth claws are very curved, it is extremely difficult for these creatures to move on the ground. They practically drag the lower half of their body with the front claws across the ground. The sloths stay in the trees for as long as they can because they are best adapted to hanging from their branches and moving that way.
