Vulnerable Species: The Maned Sloth

The maned sloth is one of only four species of three-toed sloth, and it can only be found in the Atlantic coastal rainforest of South-eastern Brazil. With no recognised subspecies and a natural adaption that allows it to eat many different types of leaves, it is thought that the maned sloth was once found further north as well.

Typically found in hot, humid climates that don’t have a dry season and includes annual rainfall of around 120cm, the maned sloth can reside in semi-deciduous or secondary forest as well as the rainforest that typically makes their home. They have two coats, and the outer coat is long and course and collects algae growths and parasites – whilst this sounds unhealthy, the algae growth gives the sloth an element of camouflage as the green tinge helps it blend into the canopy.

They are folivores, meaning that they feed on tree and liana leaves exclusively. They also spend between 60-80% of their day sleeping to conserve energy, with the rest of the day devoted to feeding or travelling. Maned sloths will spend most of their lives in the higher reaches of the rainforest, only coming to the forest floor to defecate or to move to another tree when the canopy does not enable them to pass between trees. They are unable to stand and walk, forced instead to drag themselves along with their front legs and claws, which also double as a superb defence as the claws are quite long and vicious when used to attack.

The problem that these sloths are having that has caused them to become vulnerable is the destruction of their natural habitat; it is this destruction that has probably forced them from the north and into the very isolated pocket of land that is left to them. Deforestation for lumber, charcoal and pastures is a heavily invested area of economic devastation as so many companies and individuals are set to make money from the forest being cleared, which means that the sloth is left with less and less room to proliferate. As it is believed that the sloth only reproduces once per year and only ever produces one offspring, the rate in which these sloths are dying thanks to land loss or from hunting is not being counter-acted.

The best chance that the sloth has is to be categorised as a protected species to prevent as much hunting as possible, as well as a prevention/reduction attempt made to halt the sheer amount of rainforest that is being destroyed each year, in order to save their habitats and prevent the interference from humans in their lives.