MISSOULA - In a world filled with fast-paced living and bustling schedules, sloths embody a contrasting approach to life.
Wildlife correspondent Tanner Saul explains why those famously slow-moving mammals seem to defy the urgency of our modern times.
While cheetahs' live life in the fast lane, sloths just take their own sweet time. On average, sloths travel 41 yards per day, which is less than half the length of a football field.
Sloths have a unique diet that consists mostly of leaves and these leaves might not be the energy powerhouses you'd expect. They're more like leafy snacks with little nutritional value.
As a result, their metabolic rate is incredibly slow. In fact, sloths have the slowest metabolic rates of any mammal. While humans burn anywhere from 1,200 to 2,400 calories a day, sloths get by on a modest 40 to 140 calories.
A recent study in PeerJ found that sloths can even press pause on their metabolism which means they are the only mammal known to be capable of temporarily shutting down its metabolism without entering into a state of inactivity like hibernation.
Moving at a sloth's pace is a survival strategy to conserve the little energy they get from their diet. It is kind of like if your car was low on gas, you’re not revving the engine, but slowly coasting your way to the next gas station.
This behavior wouldn't fly in colder climates. They'd burn too much energy trying to keep warm. So, their energy-saving ways are like a lizard sunbathing on a rock in your yard.
Sloths really like savoring a meal and have a specialized digestive system that breaks down the tough carbohydrates in the leaves they consume. While it typically takes you and me about a day to digest a meal, Sloth’s can take up to a month.
But don't let this life of leisure fool you. Sloths may not be winning any drag races, but they're the undisputed pull-up champions. Thanks to their long arms and special shoulder joints, sloths effortlessly hang and support their entire body weight and are three times stronger than your average human.
Their slow and steady movements come in handy when dodging predators. A sloth’s algae-covered fur helps to camouflage them and their slow movements don’t tip off predators like jaguars and eagles.
So, next time you're feeling a need for speed, our sloth friends remind us that slow and steady wins the race.
