Three-toed sloth in Costa Rica Oct 20, 2024

The world"s slowest mammal takes the spotlight in today"s image. There are six living sloth species, divided into two types: three-toed sloths and two-toed sloths. The three-toed sloth, a laid-back, tree-loving mammal that"s right at home in the tropical regions of South and Central America. They have short tails and three clawed toes on each limb, which help them cling onto branches with ease. Sloths are mainly leaf eaters, although they also snack on fruits, and tree sap to keep them going. To help them break down those tough, fibrous leaves, they have a special multi-chambered stomach. With their super slow metabolism, digestion takes its sweet time, and they don"t need much food each day to get by. It"s not just their stomachs that move at a leisurely pace; they"re so slow-moving that algae often develop on their fur, giving a greenish tint, which handily also provides them camouflage.

© Harry Collins/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Oct 20, 2023Pygmy three-toed sloth
Oct 20, 2025Hoffmanns two-toed sloth

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 10, 2025Art Installation of umbrellas, London, England
Jun 15, 2024Surfer riding a wave in Nazaré, Portugal
Jan 31, 2025Plains zebras, South Africa
Nov 4, 2024Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England
Apr 28, 2025Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Dec 26, 2023Dedham, Colchester, England
Nov 3, 2025Jellyfish, Guerrero, Mexico
May 30, 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States
Apr 20, 2025Yellow warbler in Canada
Jan 4, 2025Bản Giốc – Detian Falls, Vietnam
Oct 5, 2023Gentoo penguins, Antarctica
Jun 23, 2025Elbe river in Dresden, Saxony, Germany
Feb 12, 2025Marine iguanas, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Jan 14, 2024Whooper swans
Oct 23, 2023Corn maze in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Nov 23, 2023Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands
May 31, 2024Gunnerside, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
Sep 18, 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle
Oct 21, 2025Cap dAntibes, Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur, France
Oct 10, 2023Mount Sopris, Colorado, USA
Oct 19, 2023Castell y Gwynt, Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom
Sep 12, 2023North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany
Dec 7, 2023Verdon Gorge, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
Jan 29, 2025Prioro, Castile and León, Spain
Jul 8, 2025Seceda, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy
Jul 15, 2024Tateishi Park, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Apr 25, 2024Adélie penguins, Antarctica
May 4, 2025Plaza de España, Seville, Spain
Apr 9, 2024Tulip fields in spring, Skagit Valley, Washington, USA
Apr 22, 2024Green sea turtle