The Lazy Life of a Sloth

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No I am not talking about a woman, I am talking one of the world's slowest animals. Sloths are solitary animals that give birth to a single offspring once a year. The baby Sloth clings to it's mother for the fist four to six weeks until weaned but may ride on her belly for five to eight months afterwards. During that time the mother feeds her baby tender, easily digestible leaves from her lips. Later, the baby reaches out to grab its own leaves without releasing its grip on its mother. During their time togeter, the mother sloth also familarises her little one with the small home range in which it will live. There is the two and the three toed Sloths. The three toed Sloths usually have a black mask aroung its eyes, a stubby tail, a coat of wiry hair, forelimbs that are much longer than its hind legs, and a yellow-gold patch between its sholders. This kind of Sloth has nine vertebras in its neck, allowing it to rotate its head 270 degrees in search of its favourite leaves. Have you ever wondered why Sloths appear to be green? Well that greenish tinge is algae that grows on the Sloth's coat. In conrast with their three toed cousin, the two toed species have forelimbs that are about the same length as their hind limbs. Their hair is long, brownish-gold and soft to the touch. The Sloth spends its day sunning itself high up in the forest canopy. Its body temperature can fluctuate from an ambient 70degrees Fahrenheit at night to 91 degrees during the day- a temperature range greater than that of any other mammal. The sloth has so little muscle mass that it cannot shiver to stay warm. That is why it often sleeps curled up in a ball, to conserve heat. Its undercoat of short, fine hairs helps to insulate it. And yes, the sloth can sleep 20 hours a day. Since digestion requires body heat for bacterial activity and fermentation, the sloth's low body temperature gives it an incredibly low metabolic rate. Leaves may take up to a month to go through the stages of digestion in a sloth's multichambered stomach before passing into the small intestine. During a rainy season with many successive cool days, sloths can die of starvation with a stomach full of food. For sloths the sun's warmth is indispensable to digestion. This little mammal were ingeniously designed by their Creator for life in an upside-down world. The animal hangs by its fingers and toes, which are equipped with three-inch-long claws that hook and lock over branches and vines. To prevent the sloth's skin from getting soaked by tropical downpours, even its hairs are upside-down. People who are constantly rushing and under stress might find it beneficial to imitate, at least to some extent, the sloth's relaxed pace and easygoing nature. (Most of the information here have been obtained from Awake 2009 Journal published by Jehovah's Witnesses)