2024-09-17 19:24:08
Among the unique species that inhabit our planet, there is one that attracts special attention and that is the family of sloths. These animals were baptized as one of the Seven Deadly Sins and one of the concerns about their behavior is the question of why they move so slowly.
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When a person performs his activities in a very relaxed manner or, failing that, in a very slow manner, he is probably compared to this mammal. All species of sloths share one quality and that is that they stand out for the slowness with which they move. And although it may seem that it is a lack of motivation to carry out their activities, it turns out that the slowness of sloths is a biological adaptation.
According to the Pan American Association for Conservation (APPC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation, Bradypodidae sloths, that is, those characterized by having three toes, can move at a speed of just seven centimeters per second, while Megalonychidae, or two-toed sloths, turn out to be a little faster, according to the institution.
An adaptation in feeding, the reason why sloths move so slowly.
Why do sloths move so slowly?
This ability to move at such a slow speed is due to their way of life, which is the result of adaptations they have made regarding their diet. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, this particular way of moving is a survival strategy, since this species’ diet is based on leaves, which provide very few calories.
Leaves are very low in nutrients and provide few calories, or rather energy, because sloths had to adapt to this type of food to reserve the fuel they need to carry out their life. Thus, their arboreal existence and their slow movements favor their slow metabolism, which at the same time allows them to conserve and save energy. According to an article published in National Geographic, the body of this animal can take weeks to process something that in other species takes hours.
Another factor that contributes to the slowness of sloths is their heterothermic physiology. This quality means that these animals do not have perfect control over their body temperature, which can range between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius. However, it can drop to 20 degrees, a temperature at which the animals enter a state of lethargy.