sloth

Introduction & Top Questions
Three-toed sloths
Two-toed sloths
Conservation status
Classification and paleontology

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

A juvenile three-toed sloth hangs from a tree branch surrounded by green leaves in Costa Rica.

Observe the three-toed sloth eating foliage and moving about in its natural habitat, the tropical forest canopy

A pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) hangs from a tree branch, surrounded by green leaves in a tropical rainforest.

Glimpse the Amazon Rainforest's diverse wildlife, from anacondas and sloths to macaws and capybaras

Hear how scientists are studying the sleep-related brain activity of animals and migratory birds

At a Glance

sloth summary

Quizzes

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Deadliest Animals Quiz

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024

Animal Factoids

Related Questions

Are sloths good swimmers?
Are two-toed sloths larger than three-toed sloths?
Do sloths live alone or in groups?
How can Hoffmann's two-toed sloth be distinguished from Linnaeus's two-toed sloth?
How can a three-toed sloth's buried feces benefit its favorite tree?
How do newborn sloths stay attached to their mothers?
How do sloths avoid detection by jaguars and harpy eagles?
How do sloths control their body temperature?
How do sloths move through tree branches and vines?
How do three-toed sloths defend themselves when disturbed?
How do three-toed sloths find leaves and vines to eat?
How do two-toed sloths defend themselves when threatened?
How does a leaf-based diet affect a sloth's metabolism?
How long have two-toed sloths lived in captivity?
How many claws do three-toed sloths have on each foot?
How many claws do two-toed sloths have on their front and hind feet?
How many neck vertebrae do two-toed sloths have?
How well can sloths see and hear?
What happens to a sloth when its body temperature drops to about 20 degrees Celsius?
What is the difference between two-toed sloths and three-toed sloths?
When are sloths most active?
Where did extinct ground sloths live in North America?
Where does Linnaeus's two-toed sloth live?
Where does the brown-throated three-toed sloth live?
Where does the pale-throated three-toed sloth live?
Where does the pygmy three-toed sloth live?
Where is the maned sloth found?
Which animals are most closely related to sloths?
Which animals prey on sloths in tropical forests?
Which family includes three-toed sloths?
Which family includes two-toed sloths?
Which rainforest layer do sloths spend most of their time in?
Which three-toed sloth species are considered threatened by the IUCN?
Why are sloths nearly helpless on the ground?
Why are sloths sensitive to changes in temperature?
Why can three-toed sloths turn their heads through a 270-degree arc?
Why do sloths move so slowly?
Why do three-toed sloths sometimes sit in the forks of trees?
Why is the three-toed sloth also called the ai?
What do reindeer eat in the winter?
What animals are considered cattle?
What are elephants?
What do elephants eat?
How many different species of elephants are there?
Are elephants endangered?
What is a polar bear?
What are some examples of polar bear adaptations?
Are polar bears an endangered species?
What is a pride of lions?

Science Mammals Armadillos, Sloths & Anteaters

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External Websites

A-Z Animals - Sloth
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - On the move: sloths and their epibionts as model mobile ecosystems
Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute - Why are Sloths So Slow? And Other Sloth Facts
BBC - Why do sloths move so slowly?
Animal Corner - Sloth
LiveScience - Sloths: The World's Slowest Mammals

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

sloth - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
sloth - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

sloth

mammal

Also known as: Phyllophaga, tree sloth

Written by

Alfred L. Gardner

Curator, New World Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. Wildlife Biologist, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Laurel,...

Alfred L. Gardner

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 1, 2026 •History

sloth, (suborder Folivora), tree-dwelling mammal noted for its slowness of movement. All six living species are limited to the lowland tropical forests of South and Central America, where they can be found high in the forest canopy sunning, resting, or feeding on leaves. Although two-toed sloths (family Megalonychidae) are capable of climbing and positioning themselves vertically, they spend almost all of their time hanging horizontally, using their large hooklike extremities to move along branches and...

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