Pale-throated Sloth

Also known as Ai, Pale-throated Three-toed Sloth

Pale-throated sloths spend almost their entire lives suspended upside down in the dense rainforest canopies of northern South America. A specialized diet of tough, fibrous leaves supports an exceptionally slow metabolic rate, requiring hours of daily basking in high branches to aid digestion. Once a week, individuals descend to the forest floor to defecate, exposing themselves to ground predators in a rare moment of vulnerability.