The trip is unsafe, and it uses
up a lot of energy. Some
people think it is a way for a sloth
to spread its scent to other sloths.
Others think sloth poop helps
fertilize the trees.
5
Number of feet (1.5 m)
per minute a sloth can
move on the ground.
• Sloths move on the
ground by dragging their
bodies.
• Sloths must watch out
for predators, such as
jaguars and ocelots.
• The only way sloths can
defend themselves is by
clawing and biting.
MOTHS, LARVAE, AND
SLOTH POOP
Some scientists believe sloth
waste helps moths that live in the
sloth’s fur. When the sloth climbs
down the tree, the moths fly out
and lay their eggs in the poop.
The larvae eat the waste, create
cocoons, and turn into moths.
Then they fly into the trees to live
in the fur of a sloth. The moths
fertilize the algae in the sloth’s fur,
and more algae grows.
Sloths drag themselves
along the ground using
their claws.
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