How do sloths avoid detection by jaguars and harpy eagles?

Sloths avoid detection by predators like jaguars and harpy eagles primarily through their slow-moving, arboreal lifestyle and specialized camouflage.12

• Camouflage: The sloth’s shaggy coat harbors blue-green algae, which gives the animal a greenish hue that blends into the forest canopy. When resting in a tree, a sloth often bunches its feet together and tucks its head, resembling a clump of dead leaves.321
• Reduced Movement: Many predators, including jaguars, are visual hunters that rely on detecting movement. Because sloths spend about 90 percent of their time stationary or moving very slowly, they often fail to attract the attention of these predators.21
• Nocturnal Habits: Three-toed sloths are mainly nocturnal, which further helps them avoid detection by diurnal predators.1

While these adaptations help them remain inconspicuous, sloths are inherently vulnerable when they descend to the forest floor to defecate, a journey they make approximately once a week. If threatened, they are capable of striking out with their sharp, curved claws to defend themselves.341