Hoffmann's two-toed sloth in exhibit

Hoffmann’s Two-toed Sloth

Scientific Name
Choloepus hoffmanni
Class
Mammalia
Order
Pilosa
Range
Central and South America
Habitat
Treetops in tropical rainforests
Estimated Wild Population
n/a
Hoffmann's two-toed sloth in exhibit Endangered Status Graph - Least Concern Endangered Status Graph - Least Concern

More Information

Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths are solitary, largely nocturnal, arboreal animals. These sloths spend most of their time in trees, though they may travel across the ground to move to a new tree. Hoffman’s two-toed sloths are some of the world’s slowest mammals—so slow, in fact, that algae grows on their furry coat. The plant gives them a greenish tint that serves as camouflage in their dense rainforest habitats.

Did You Know?

Large, hooked claws help Hoffman’s two-toed sloths hang from the trees without exerting too much energy.

By night, they eat leaves, shoots, and fruit from the trees and get almost all their water from juicy plants.

Sloths even sleep in trees, and they sleep a lot—some 15 to 20 hours every day. Even when awake, they often remain motionless and almost completely silent.

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We cooperate with other members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to manage the zoo population of this species through a Species Survival Plan®.

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