Not enough muscles for limbs that long? I mean if you look at it from the skeleton out we’re clearly not dealing with designed for speed.
You don’t have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun the sloth being chased by the bear.
And the only thing slower than that is a debauched sloth.
Will no one think of the sloth children?!?
Some recent research calls that number into question, (“Sloth’s Lazy Image a Myth”), though they might have been looking at a different kind of sloth.
This image of a sloth skeleton actually reveals something else of note: If they were walking, they’d effectively be using the sides of their hands and feet, not the soles/palms. If I had to run away from a sloth using that same posture, it just might beat me.
(Also, looking at that picture, is anyone thinking that we need a zombie sloth movie now? What untapped potential!)
They were going to make a Sloth Workout Video but couldn’t find any music slow enough.
Actually, a debauched sloth appears to move faster, if only to experience more debauchery:
Before Disney bought him out, I hear Lucas was considering a Star Wars sequel: Wroth Sloth on Hoth.
“Jack, you’ve debauched my sloth.”
― Patrick O’Brian, H.M.S. Surprise
Jack had actually got it drunk.
Two sloths in a bar got into a fight and killed each other.
The police came and asked “What happened here?”
The bartender said, “I don’t know; it all happened so fast.”
Isn’t the bartender supposed to be a snail or a turtle?
Q: What does a snail on the back of a turtle say?
A: “Wheee!”
Any idea why they are not all dead, Colibri?
Are they less delicious than monkeys, or something?
For a jaguar or a harpy, they can’t even move fast enough to provide a dangerous response, can they?
They’re quite hard to see; in fact I don’t often see them even though they are probably the most common medium sized animal in the tropical forest. When they are sleeping, they look like a big ball of dead moss or other vegetation, especially since the algae that grows on their fur often makes them look greenish. Even when they’re awake, they move so slowly they don’t attract attention.
They’re usually on branches too small for a jaguar to climb, although margays can reach them. Harpy eagles are their main predators, but harpies are rare and have been hunted out in many areas. And for a harpy to catch one, it has to be fairly exposed. If it’s tucked up in the branches a harpy won’t be able to get at it.
I remember reading an account of someone who was caring for a sloth for some reason. She was worried because (I’m not sure how she noticed) it wouldn’t urinate. However, once it was sprayed with water it let go. The theory was that sloths only piss when it rains lest the piss give away their location to predators.
Hee. I’m picturing a sloth enclosure where it’s like in the produce section – periodically “Stand back, spray of water is about to be released”.
I guess the weight of the extra toe really slows them down?
True Facts about Sloths’es.
Per the video on average sloths can move up to 3 feet per minute, which is an impressive 3 FPM faster than a dead sloth. Funny stuff if you have a couple minutes and the video series is just as funny.
Gotta thank you guys for the references explaining sloths in detail. I’ve been fascinated by these creatures for a long time, but missed the details on exactly why they are the way they are, especially their slowness. They evolved to hang in trees and act like the background to avoid predators. Who needs to move much with that great ability? I finally understand their slow, weird walking (or crawling really) on land. They are cute, weird looking creatures, but I would hesitate to hold one given all the bugs reportedly in their fur. Plus those claws