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Why are sloths nearly helpless on the ground?
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sloth
Juvenile three-toed sloth (Bradypus) climbing a tree branch.
Sloths are nearly helpless on the ground because their limbs are evolutionarily adapted for suspending their bodies from branches rather than supporting their weight on a flat surface.1
Because their anatomy is specialized for hanging, they lack the structural support required for terrestrial locomotion. When on the ground, they are unable to walk and can only drag themselves along using their claws, provided they have something to grasp. This makes the journey to the forest floor—which they undertake periodically to urinate and defecate—a laborious and dangerous task that leaves them highly vulnerable to predators.12