Two-toed sloth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Two-toed sloths Fossil range: 35–0 Ma Early Oligocene to Recent |
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| Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Superorder: | Xenarthra |
| Order: | Pilosa |
| Suborder: | Folivora |
| Family: | Megalonychidae |
| Genus: | Choloepus Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Species | |
Choloepus is a genus of mammals within the family Megalonychidae consisting of two-toed sloths.[1] There are only two species of Choloepus (which name means "lame foot"[2]): Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) and Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni). These two species are the only members of the family Megalonychidae.[3]
Although similar to the somewhat smaller and generally slower moving three-toed sloths (Bradypus), there is not a close relationship between the two genera. Both types tend to occupy the same forests: in most areas, a particular single species of three-toed sloth and a single species of the larger two-toed type will jointly predominate.
[edit] Characteristics
As the name implies, they have only two toes on their forefeet, although, like other sloths, they have three toes on the hindfeet. They are also larger than three-toed sloths, having a body length of between 58 and 70 centimetres, and weighing 4-8 kilograms. Other distinguishing features include a more prominent snout, longer fur, and the absence of a tail.[4]
Two-toed sloths have a gestation period of between six months and a year, depending on the exact species. The mother gives birth to a single young, while hanging up-side down. The young are born with claws, and are weaned after about a month, although they will remain with the mother for several more months, and do not reach sexual maturity until the age of 3 years, in the case of females, or 4-5 years, in the case of males.
Two-toed sloths spend most of their life hanging from trees, and are generally nocturnal animals. They are somewhat more active than three-toed sloths.[citation needed] Their body temperature depends at least partially on the ambient temperature; they cannot shiver to keep warm, as other mammals do, because of their unusually low metabolic rates and reduced musculature.[4] Two-toed sloths also differ from three-toed in their climbing behaviors, preferring to descend head first.
They eat primarily leaves, but also shoots, fruits, nuts, berries, bark, and occasionally small rodents.[3] They have large stomachs, with multiple chambers, which help to ferment the large amount of plant matter that they eat. Food can take up to a month to digest due to their slow metabolism.[4] Depending on when in the excretion cycle a sloth is weighed, urine and feces may account for up to 30 percent of the animal’s body weight, which averages about 6 kilograms (about 13 pounds).[5] They have a reduced, ever growing dentition, with no incisors or true canines, and which overall lacks homology with the dental formula of other mammals. Their first tooth is very canine-like in shape and is referred to as a caniniform. It is separated from the other teeth, or molariforms, by a diastema. The dental formula of two-toed sloths is:
[edit] References
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Wikispecies has information related to: Choloepus |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Choloepus hoffmanni |
- ^ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Choloepus
- ^ http://www.sloth-world.org/Chloepus.html
- ^ a b Myers, Phil (2001). "Family Megalonychidae: two-toed sloths". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Megalonychidae.html. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
- ^ a b c Dickman, Christopher R. (1984). Macdonald, D.. ed. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 776–779. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
- ^ 30% body weight
Linneaus (1758): Systema naturae perregna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum characteribus, differentiis, syonymis, locis. Laurentii Salvi, 824pp.
[edit] External links
- National Geographic: Two-Toed Sloth Profile
- Bristol Zoo: Two-toed sloth
- National Zoo: Two-toed sloth
- America Zoo: Two-toed sloth
- Animal Diversity: Family Megalonychidae
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