heroes of this article will be very funny creatures - animals sloths.They are distributed only in South America.They are chosen by rainforests.Surprisingly, almost all his life, this animal spends upside down.Four limbs, he clings to the thick branch and permanently freezes on it.Agility, which he is able to move in such a position is astonishing.
slothful man - an animal, a big part of life that takes place in a dream.Perhaps that is why he got the name.It is more active at night.Brown-green color of the mammal makes it almost invisible in the trees during the day.
Description
sloth slothful - the animal is relatively small.The length of its body does not exceed 70 cm, weight - 8 kg.Externally, these animals a bit like monkeys, but, unlike primates, sloths often move in limbo and lead a solitary life in the trees at high altitude (30-40 meters).
Fingers these animals are tenacious, that allow them to hold onto branches very hard.They sleep upside down.The tail of sloths, monkeys, in contrast, short and completely covered with hair.The animal has a pretty thick fur.It is almost completely closes the small eyes and ears.Muzzle created by nature, so that the impression that the animal is constantly smiling.For those who are interested, to a group of animals is sloth, said that it belongs to the order edentates.
These funny animals, despite the slow, they know how to swim very well, developing underwater speed of up to 5 km / h.However, this skill are rarely used.
sloths
Types There are several types:
- three-toed.
- Burogorly.
- didactylism.
- collared.
- Miniature.
All of them have two or three fingers.In this regard, often they are classified into two groups - didactylism and three-toed sloth.Although there are small differences, all sloths are very similar to each other.Interesting fact: scientists claim that in ancient times ancestors were sloths the size of an elephant, but, like other giants, they became extinct about 12,000 years ago.
lifestyle and diet
basis of the diet of sloths - tree leaves, but it has room for a small percentage of animal food (small lizards, insects).The microflora of the digestive tract of animals sluggish designed so that the hard leaves completely digested and absorbed by the body.Assist symbiotic bacteria that accelerate the process.
Animals sloths tend to gorge, so that a fourth or a third of their weight takes eaten their food.Thereafter they for some time and does not eat within one month previously digested eaten leaves.They have little nutritional value and low in calories.Such food forcing animals to conserve energy and strength.They sleep for about ten hours a day, all the time remaining extremely slow moving, if necessary, and often are in a static state.
If they suddenly progoladayutsya, just turn very movable neck in the right direction and take out the mouth vending leaf.Even at birth sloths are on the tree.They descend with him once a week to relieve the needs of nature.It happens so rarely, because they have a very large bladder of these animals.Sloths clean, in his "home" (the tree) never defecate, and their feces buried in the pit.Coming down from the high trees, the animals perform a feat, because on earth they are totally defenseless.
Reproduction
I must admit that it's not noisy animals.Three-toed sloths, when dissatisfied with something, may occasionally shout "ah-ah" or a loud puff.During the mating period, the cries of help males and females find each other.Two-toed sloths mate throughout the year, and three-toed - in the spring (March-April).
Different types of pregnancy lasts from six months to a year.In the light there is one cub.During birth the female hanging on the front paws and tail hanging down freely.The newborn sloth immediately grabs mother paws of fur and begins to search for her breasts.
Within two years he fed mother's milk and then gradually get used to plant food.Independent small sloth becomes nine months, and quite an adult is two and a half years.In captivity up to 20 years, these animals live.Sloths in the wild live on less.
in captivity
As mentioned above, the sloth animal whose photo we posted this article, eats the leaves of cecropia, because of their content in the home is problematic.If you are able to provide him with this food, then you can safely put him in his home mini-zoo.
for content sloth is desirable to allocate a separate room or arrange for a corner, to be equipped in a certain way.It must be placed and fixed artificial trees, where the sluggish beast will hang.Quite comfortable he feels in a hammock.Do not interfere, and rope ladders.
sloths need a tropical climate, which will help create a home humidifier.The drinkers should always be fresh water.In summer it is desirable to produce it in a cage outside to enjoy the sun animal.On the sloth very bad effect changes in temperature.
