See why Sloths eat but yet dies of hunger and 4 more shocking discoveries

The sloth’s body temperature decreases in tandem with the outside temperature, and microorganisms and bacteria perish if the temperature falls too low. The sloth can consume the same quantity of leaves as usual in this scenario, but because they are unable to extract any nutrients, they risk starvation to death even on a full stomach.

Given that their name was derived from one of the Seven Deadly Sins, it is hardly surprising that sloths have spent decades being known as the world’s laziest animals. In fact, sloths were referred to as “the lowest form of existence” when they were first mentioned in scientific literature in 1749! Since then, research has shown us that sloths are much more complex than simple, sluggish animals that spend their days sleeping. These animals are mysterious and complex, with an evolutionary history so bizarre you could think we made it up. Dr. Rebecca Cliffe, the founder and executive director of SloCo, has shared with us her top ten odd and fascinating sloth facts, which were first reported for the BBC, to help you better understand the misunderstood world of the sloth:

If it weren’t for sloths, avocados wouldn’t exist.
Only a few mammals, including the extinct giant ground sloths, had digestive tracts big enough to break down the enormous avocado seeds whole. After gorging on the fruit, they scattered the seeds all over the place. The giant ground sloths from which all tree sloths today are descended. Over eighty different types were believed to exist, with Megatherium being the largest at over six meters in height. Evidence even points to the existence of multiple distinct species of marine sloth, which subsisted in shallow water on seaweed and sea grass.

1. Three times as strong as humans are sloths.
   The unchallenged world pull-up champions are sloths. Sloths are able to raise their whole body weight with just one arm from the time of birth. Furthermore, sloths are more than three times stronger than the average human and have 30% less muscle mass than mammals of a similar size. They can withstand the force of a jaguar attempting to rip them from the tree thanks to their highly specialized muscle arrangement. The sloth’s hands and feet have specialized tendons that lock into place, saving energy so they can hang upside down for extended periods of time. The sloths’ special locking system allows them to slumber while dangling from
2. They excrete one-third of their body weight at a time.
   It’s well known that sloths have peculiar toilet habits. They can lose up to a third of their body weight in a single sitting and will only relieve themselves once a week! Moreover, they will only dig a small hole on the ground after scuttling around a tree’s base. One of the greatest mysteries surrounding the behavior of sloths is still this peculiar weekly routine. Though there are numerous theories, the most plausible one is that reproduction and communication are the key factors.
3. In the clear of the day, loths are blind.
   They are completely devoid of cone cells in their eyes due to a very rare condition known as rod monochromacy. Consequently, all sloths are colorblind, have limited vision in dim light, and are totally blind during the day. Fortunately, sloths make up for their poor vision with an amazing sense of smell and an excellent spatial memory! The sloth’s slowness is also largely due to their poor vision—you can’t run through the trees if you can’t see where you’re going!
4. In the clear of the day, loths are blind.
   They are completely devoid of cone cells in their eyes due to a very rare condition known as rod monochromacy. Consequently, all sloths are colorblind, have limited vision in dim light, and are totally blind during the day. Fortunately, sloths make up for their poor vision with an amazing sense of smell and an excellent spatial memory! The sloth’s slowness is also largely due to their poor vision—you can’t run through the trees if you can’t see where you’re going!