Are There Different Types of Sloths?

Two types

  • Two-toed and three-toed

Six species

Two-toed

  • Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus)
  • Hoffman’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)

Three-toed

  • Pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus)
  • Maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus)
  • Pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus)
  • Brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus)

 

What Are They?

Two-toed

Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) | Hoffman’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)

 

  • Two-fingered sloths are significantly larger than their three-fingered counterparts.
  • They possess a long, pig-like snout and are only capable of sweating from the tip of their nose.
  • Their hands and feet have soft, hairless palms and soles.
  • They have long, brown hair
  • Two-fingered sloths are more active and generally faster-moving than three-fingered sloths.

 

Linnaeus's two-toed sloth is commonly kept in zoos around the world
because it is relatively easy to export them from the countries where they naturally live.

 

 

 

Three-toed

Pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) | Maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus) |
Pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) | Brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus)

 

  • All four species feature small, rounded heads, tiny ears, and a constant smile.
  • Three of the four species are distinguished by a dark mask around their eyes, other than maned sloths.
  • They have short, stubby tails about 6–7 cm long (around 2.5 inches) along with three long fingers on each limb.
  • Three-fingered sloths have very long arms– twice as long as their legs!
  • Three-fingered sloths have fewer ribs (28) than two-fingered (46)
  • They have nine neck vertebrae while almost all the other mammals have seven of them.

 

Brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) is probably the most well-known of all sloths.
Pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) are one of the most critically endangered mammals in the world.