Sloths and Climate Change

The tropical jungles of Central and South America are home to sloths. They resemble monkeys with their lengthy arms and shaggy fur. Their descent from the trees is infrequent. They go to the restroom every week or so, moving slowly as they dig their front claws into the ground and pull their bodies. Sloths become ferocious biters, hissing, slashing with their claws, and howling if they are caught by a predator. Tropical rainforests have a critical role in maintaining the well-being of sloth populations. But tropical rainforests are at risk of deforestation. Without an abundance of trees, sloths will lose their shelter and food source. In the future, because of climate change sloths may lose their fur to stay cool. They may also instead of being on trees dig underground and stay there to escape the heat created by climate change.