Two-toed Sloth - Singapore Zoo - Mandai Wildlife Reserve

1. Singapore Zoo
2. Animals & Zones
3. Two-toed sloth

Linné's two-toed sloth Find me in Fragile Forest

• Quick Facts
• Get to Know
• Protecting Wildlife
• You Might Also Like

Quick facts

LifespanAverage of 28 years under human care

DietLeaves, small twigs and fruits

HabitatCanopy layer of tropical rainforests

RangeNorthern part of South America

The two-toed sloths

Topsy-turvy lifestyle

Whether they are sleeping, eating, mating, or giving birth, sloths carry out most of their activities hanging upside-down from tree branches. To accommodate their topsy-turvy lifestyle, the internal placement of organs like the heart, liver, and spleen is different from what is usually seen in mammals. Even their hair grows in the opposite direction, curving from stomach to back, probably so that rainwater can flow away from their bodies. Each strand of hair has a groove where algae collects. This gives the sloths an overall greenish hue that camouflages them from predators.

Together, we protect wildlife

Protecting their homes

The Amazon rainforest is the only place in the world where the two-toed sloths are found in the wild. Its destruction means the sloths and other animals of the forest will be impacted. Several organisations are currently working to keep tracts of rainforest safe from logging and other human activities. Fortunately, two-toed sloths live in a number of these protected areas. You, too, can do your part to protect animals like the sloth by making a conscious choice as a consumer to only buy forest-friendly products.

The IUCN Status

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

Close

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

Adopt an Animal

Bunny

Two-Toed Sloth

The elusive Bunny loves to snooze and play hide-&-seek in the Fragile Forest.

Once in a while, he chooses a new hiding spot that sends his keepers in a tizzy to find him.

As a millennial sloth, he is savvy with social media and has his own Instagram account (Follow @bunnythesloth)!

You might also like

Australasia African Penguin

Every visit to our destination comes with

Find out how, together, we're creating a better future for wildlife and the planet.

Learn More