The Three Toed sloth is found specifically in the red mangroves of Isla Escudos de Veraguas. It's confined to a small area about 1.7 square miles. In 2012 the total population of the Pygmy Three Toed sloth was counted at 79. That being 70 soths in the red mangroves and 9 in the surrounding areas. The population density as counted as 5.8 per 1.5 acres. The sloths population has always been low due to their restricted range, and the pygmy Three Toed sloth is labeled as "critically endangered" as of right now.
Despite all the different types of sloths they all have similar life cycles. Bradypus pygmaeus has a pregnancy of six months, and all sloths have typically one baby a year. When a sloth is born, they are born in the trees. The mother pulls the baby from her legs while other sloths help clean up. The baby sloth holds on to its mother for weeks, or months until it has the strength to be move on its own. In the sloths "childhood" years, it's still dependent on its mother for nurturing, protection and food. But it does start to feed on a leaf called foliage on its own. Sloths sexually mature around 2-3 years old. A sloths lifespan varies between type of sloth, but it is normally as long as 20 to 30 years in the wild and even longer in captivity.
Sloths eat different types of leaves, shoots, and whatever fruits they find in the trees they live in. Sloths get majority of their water from "juicy" plants. The Three-Toed sloth has a very interesting look, they have grey-ish brown fur, but they have a tan face with a dark patch of fur that goes across the sloths forehead. Interestingly the sloths fur grows in the opposite direction than most animals. The sloths fur grows in a different direction so that water runs away from the sloths skin while it is hanging upside down. The sloths fur also grows an algae that helps them hide and acts as a camouflage. Unlike other sloths, the Bradypus pygmaeus has three claw like "toes" obviously why it is called the Three-toed sloth. The sloth is about 19-23 inches long, its tail only being 2-3 inches long, and weighing between 5-9 pounds.
The Bradypus pygmaeous originated from an island named "Isla Escudo de Veraguas" in Panama. The island has been separated from the rest of Panama for 9,000 years, and the three toed sloth can only be located on this island. The three-toed sloth has only been recognized as a species since 2001.
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