39 Of The Cutest Sloth Pics To Celebrate International Sloth Day

Labeled as the world's laziest animal for decades, sloths are far from simple! We've found some facts on The Sloth Conservation Foundation page written by leading sloth expert Rebecca Cliffe, and have decided to share them with you - so keep on reading. 

First of all, the sloths of our day have evolved from giant ground sloths; the tallest of them was around 6 meters high. Suddenly not so cute and innocent, huh? There's also evidence suggesting that several sloth species lived underwater and fed on seagrass. Maybe that's why, to this day, sloths are excellent swimmers? 

No human could defeat a sloth in an arm-wrestling match - though seemingly feeble, sloths are actually three times stronger than an average person! Moreover, thanks to a highly specialized muscle arrangement, sloths can withstand the force of a jaguar that's set out to rip it out of a tree. And, due to their ability to lock certain tendons, sloths can hang onto branches without wasting any energy. This locking mechanism is so powerful that sloths might be left hanging onto the tree even after their death.

Sloths have notoriously bad vision - they see poorly in dim light and are completely blind when it's bright! However, these adorable tree-climbers compensate for it with an excellent sense of smell and a top-notch spatial memory. It is thought that their lousy eyesight adds to their slowness, and it only makes sense when you think of it; nobody in their right might would scurry through branches without clearly seeing what's in front of them!

Fights between two male sloths most often end with the losing party falling out of a tree. No worries, though! A sloth’s unique physique is designed to withstand falls from up to 100 feet without sustaining any injuries. That's like jumping off a ten-story building and casually walking away upon landing. And though scientists have managed to find out this exotic detail about a sloth’s life, nobody really knows their exact lifespan. Considering that sloths don't do well in captivity, but the oldest zoo-kept sloth is around 50 years old, experts think that they live much longer in the wilderness. It once again proves that a slow-paced and relaxed way of life is the key to longevity. At least, I believe so.

If you'd like to read even more about our beloved cute sloths, don't forget to visit The Sloth Conservation Foundation - its founder, Rebecca Cliffe, is the leading expert on everything about sloths, and her knowledge is invaluable. Just be warned that you might accidentally end up adopting a sloth!