Male and female three-toed sloths look similar, growing up to roughly 18 inches and weighing up to 10 pounds.

Unlike two-toed sloths, they also have a tiny 2-inch tail.

All sloths have three claws on their back limbs so it’s really the digits on the forelimbs that matter.

All three-toed sloths have that brown or gray-colored coat with the darker markings around their head and eyes; however, they may also have a tint of green. This comes from their symbiotic relationship with algae. Sloths move at the slow pace of 0.15 mph which allows algae to easily grow on them and provide camouflage and skin nutrients. In exchange, the sloth gives the algae shelter and water.

Three-toed sloths are broken up into four subspecies, all found in Latin America. They prefer forests that range from evergreen to dry or tropical. Sloths have their own territories so they will move between trees up to four times a day. This allows other sloths to navigate the trees without territory overlap.

The three-toed sloth’s diet is mainly vegetarian with leaves, shoots, and fruits, but they will occasionally eat insects or birds. Sloths are made for the trees as their claws allow them to easily hang and their organs are attached to their ribs, so breathing isn’t affected. Their multi-compartment stomach helps with their high fiber diet, but it still takes up to a month to digest one leaf!

There is no official mating season for three-toed sloths allowing them to mate year-round. When females are ready to mate, they will emit loud screams that can travel throughout the canopies. After mating, she will carry a single baby for six months and give birth in the trees. You can often see baby sloths clinging onto their mothers for their first nine months before the mothers leave to go find a new home territory.

The average sloth you see today is about the size of a medium-sized dog, but studies have shown that they developed from extinct ground-dwelling beings known as Megatherium, which look similar to sloths but could grow up to the size of an elephant!

Three-toed sloths spend most of their time in the trees, only coming down to the ground once a week to use the bathroom.

Three-toed sloths can swim three times faster than they climb or walk. The gas in their stomach allows them to float and they can slow down their heart and breathing rate so they can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes!