The Times Australia
The Times World News

.

why do sloths go slow?

  • Written by Shelby A. Ryan, PhD Candidate | School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle

Why do sloths go slow? Nina, Sydney, aged 5

why do sloths go slow?

You’re right, sloths do move very slowly!

Sloths live in tropical forests in South and Central America, and they actually move so slowly that algae grows on their fur[1]. This can give sloths a green colour that helps them hide in the forest from predators like nocturnal cats and harpy eagles[2].

This is very lucky, because some sloths often move less than 40 meters a day. They are much slower on the ground than in the trees, some travelling just four meters every minute[3] on the ground — far too slow to outrun a jaguar!

The reason sloths go slow has a lot to do with what they eat. Let’s look at why.

Harpy eagle in a tree
This is a harpy eagle, one of the animals that eat sloths. Shutterstock

Counting sloth toes

Sloths might all look the same to us, but there are actually two main types: sloths with two toes, and sloths with three toes.

Two-toed sloths are “omnivores”[4], which means they eat both plants and animals.

Three-toed sloths are “folivores”[5], which means they can only eat leaves and flower buds. Unlike most other plant-eating animals, they stay away from stems or roots.

This type of diet is extremely rare — only ten other types of animals that live in trees are folivores, and Australia’s cuddly koala is one of them.

Sloths move much more slowly on the ground than in the trees. Roger Burkhard/Unsplash

Koalas and sloths have a lot in common

Koalas, like sloths, have claws that are good for climbing, are often more active at night and only munch on leaves.

There is a very good reason there are only very, very few[6] folivores like the three-toed sloth and koala in the world.

Leaves are very low in nutrients, and contain very little energy. This means the koala and sloth have discovered a way to survive on very little energy at all.

Koalas can sleep up to 20 hours per day. Jordan Whitt/Unsplash

Imagine how slow you’d move if you were only able to eat leaves instead of all your high energy fruit and vegetables![7]

One of the main ways sloths and koalas keep their energy low is by resting lots, and not moving very often. If you have ever seen a koala, you might have noticed they are often resting and sleeping — some say up to 20 hours a day[8].

Three-toed sloths eat only leaves and flower buds’. Shutterstock

Compared to sloths, koalas are much more active but often only with a short burst in energy. Koalas move about 190 metres every day, but some have been recorded moving as much as 2,500 meters in one day[9].

In fact, the three-toed sloth uses the least amount of energy of any animal that doesn’t hibernate[10]. But when sloths need to travel longer distances, they can use their long legs to swim, which they are much faster at.

Sloths are good swimmers, and sometimes swim to look for a mate.

Koalas and sloths are losing their homes

Unfortunately, when trees in forests are chopped down, sloths and koalas must travel further away along the ground to find food and mates. This exposes these rare animals to[11] dangers, like cats and jaguars, or busy roads where they could get hurt.

Sloth climbing a tree trunk Sloths are under threat when their trees get chopped down. Sebastian Molinares/Unsplash

Losing their tree homes has led to a big drop in the number of sloths[12] left in the world, particularly the pygmy three-toed sloth which is “critically endangered”. This means we don’t have long left to save it from going extinct.

Koalas are in similar danger. Because so many trees are getting chopped down in Australia, scientists think there might be no koalas left in the wild in New South Wales by the year 2050[13].

To look after sloths and koalas, scientists and the community need to work together to protect these incredible animals and their homes.

References

  1. ^ algae grows on their fur (link.springer.com)
  2. ^ nocturnal cats and harpy eagles (bioone.org)
  3. ^ four meters every minute (academic.oup.com)
  4. ^ Two-toed sloths are “omnivores” (doi.org)
  5. ^ Three-toed sloths are “folivores” (doi.org)
  6. ^ very, very few (doi.org)
  7. ^ high energy fruit and vegetables! (theconversation.com)
  8. ^ up to 20 hours a day (www.publish.csiro.au)
  9. ^ 2,500 meters in one day (www.publish.csiro.au)
  10. ^ that doesn’t hibernate (doi.org)
  11. ^ exposes these rare animals to (www.publish.csiro.au)
  12. ^ big drop in the number of sloths (bioone.org)
  13. ^ by the year 2050 (www.parliament.nsw.gov.au)

Read more https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-do-sloths-go-slow-163573

Times Magazine

Building an AI-First Culture in Your Company

AI isn't just something to think about anymore - it's becoming part of how we live and work, whether we like it or not. At the office, it definitely helps us move faster. But here's the thing: just using tools like ChatGPT or plugging AI into your wo...

Data Management Isn't Just About Tech—Here’s Why It’s a Human Problem Too

Photo by Kevin Kuby Manuel O. Diaz Jr.We live in a world drowning in data. Every click, swipe, medical scan, and financial transaction generates information, so much that managing it all has become one of the biggest challenges of our digital age. Bu...

Headless CMS in Digital Twins and 3D Product Experiences

Image by freepik As the metaverse becomes more advanced and accessible, it's clear that multiple sectors will use digital twins and 3D product experiences to visualize, connect, and streamline efforts better. A digital twin is a virtual replica of ...

The Decline of Hyper-Casual: How Mid-Core Mobile Games Took Over in 2025

In recent years, the mobile gaming landscape has undergone a significant transformation, with mid-core mobile games emerging as the dominant force in app stores by 2025. This shift is underpinned by changing user habits and evolving monetization tr...

Understanding ITIL 4 and PRINCE2 Project Management Synergy

Key Highlights ITIL 4 focuses on IT service management, emphasising continual improvement and value creation through modern digital transformation approaches. PRINCE2 project management supports systematic planning and execution of projects wit...

What AI Adoption Means for the Future of Workplace Risk Management

Image by freepik As industrial operations become more complex and fast-paced, the risks faced by workers and employers alike continue to grow. Traditional safety models—reliant on manual oversight, reactive investigations, and standardised checklist...

The Times Features

Is our mental health determined by where we live – or is it the other way round? New research sheds more light

Ever felt like where you live is having an impact on your mental health? Turns out, you’re not imagining things. Our new analysis[1] of eight years of data from the New Zeal...

Going Off the Beaten Path? Here's How to Power Up Without the Grid

There’s something incredibly freeing about heading off the beaten path. No traffic, no crowded campsites, no glowing screens in every direction — just you, the landscape, and the...

West HQ is bringing in a season of culinary celebration this July

Western Sydney’s leading entertainment and lifestyle precinct is bringing the fire this July and not just in the kitchen. From $29 lobster feasts and award-winning Asian banque...

What Endo Took and What It Gave Me

From pain to purpose: how one woman turned endometriosis into a movement After years of misdiagnosis, hormone chaos, and major surgery, Jo Barry was done being dismissed. What beg...

Why Parents Must Break the Silence on Money and Start Teaching Financial Skills at Home

Australia’s financial literacy rates are in decline, and our kids are paying the price. Certified Money Coach and Financial Educator Sandra McGuire, who has over 20 years’ exp...

Australia’s Grill’d Transforms Operations with Qlik

Boosting Burgers and Business Clean, connected data powers real-time insights, smarter staffing, and standout customer experiences Sydney, Australia, 14 July 2025 – Qlik®, a g...