One of the tour guides I met in Costa Rica told us that young sloths often fall out of trees, as they figure out just how far they can push things when climbing.
We actually saw one fall. It could be dangerous, if you happen to be directly under it.
-D/a
I never touched any of the sloths I saw when I lived in Panama, but I loved when we’d come upon one crossing the road. Cars would sit at a stop for as long as it took, and the scene was as though someone had poured pancake batter out onto the asphalt, and people had gathered around to watch as it oozed from one shoulder to the other. They’re still my favorite land animal. (Octopus takes top spot overall.)
Excuse me waiter…Why is there a sloth moth in my broth? :dubious:
As strange as it may sound, the ones I saw even had moss growing on them. I didn’t put that in my first post because I didn’t want to say sloths, moths and moss all in the same sentence.
Yes. Two-toeds are larger, faster, more active, and more likely to bite. As you can see from this skull, they have pretty formidable canine-like teeth. Here’s apicture of a sloth bite. I would definitely be cautious about handling a two-toed sloth.
This one takes a few swipes at someone bothering it (starting at about 0:40 in the video). With luck one could latch on with its claws and maybe do some damage.
Three-toeds really can’t move very fast, and are pretty placid. I’ve handled three-toeds with no problem by picking them up by the scruff of the neck like this.
That’s algae. Their hairs are specially formed to make a good base for it; provides camo.
I was looking for another thread when I saw this one and realized I’d forgotten - I realized I didn’t know whether our sloths at the zoo are two toed or three toed. They are two toed. Neither have attacked me in a vicious fury quite yet. (Aki is a little grumpier and will hiss at you, slowishly, if you poke her. Cocoa Joe is a good natured sort of fellow.)
Virtually all sloths in zoos are two-toed. For some reason, three-toeds are very difficult to maintain in captivity.
Have you considered a trip to Hoth?
Or simply swipe it with a cloth.
Cut out the puns or the mods. will wax wroth!
You can’t handle the troth!
It is speculated the two-toed sloth migrated to Australia at about the same time as the first humans. The strange flora combined with an abundance of native herbivores pressured the creature to rely increasingly on flesh for sustinance. As a result, its reflexes improved notably, its teeth became more suited for gripping and teating and its cunning became unmatched in the animal kingdom. Curiously, the habit of hanging upside down from branches was never lost. The modern descendants of the Australian two-toed sloth are rarely seen by humans, and only when one plummets from a tree onto an unsuspecting tourist.
Behave yourselves, or I shall invoke the wrath of Thoth!
That just made my week. 
Two sloths got into a barroom brawl and killed each other.
When the police arrived, they asked the bartender, “What happened?”
He said, “I don’t know- it all happened so fast.”
How did the sloth get its name? It is unfortunate, and unflattering. Like someone was trying to shame it into being more um… active.
It’s similar in other languages. In Spanish it’s know as an oso perezoso (lazy bear), or simple perezoso (lazy).
Sloths dangerous? Nah.
It’s the anteaters in the laundry room you really have to watch out for.
It would probably be dangerous to allow a sloth boy scout to assist you across a busy street.
