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Which animals prey on sloths in tropical forests?
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sloth
Juvenile three-toed sloth (Bradypus) climbing a tree branch.
In the tropical forests of Central and South America, sloths are primarily preyed upon by jaguars and harpy eagles.12
Because sloths are slow-moving and often rely on camouflage—aided by algae that grows in their fur—they generally avoid attracting the attention of visual predators like jaguars. However, they remain vulnerable to these predators, particularly when they descend to the forest floor to urinate and defecate, a journey that leaves them exposed.1234