Costa Rica"s forests are habitats for two sloth species: Hoffmann"s two-toed sloth and the star of today"s homepage, the brown-throated three-toed sloth. Despite being larger than many other tree-dwelling mammals, three-toed sloths have adapted by reducing their muscle mass and size to thrive on treetops. Their large stomachs have four chambers, which, when full, account for about 30% of their body weight. These shaggy critters are so sedentary that algae grow on their coats, which helps to camouflage them within the rainforest canopy. In 2021, these slow-moving creatures were declared national symbols in Costa Rica. Then-president Carlos Alvarado signed the initiative into law to emphasize the sloths" importance in the country"s ecosystem.
Brown-throated three-toed sloth in cecropia tree, Costa Rica
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
International Day of the World s Indigenous Peoples
-
Holey moley–it’s National Doughnut Day!
-
Stompin’ with the Big Chief
-
On the Route of the Waterfalls
-
Hemingway’s Keys
-
Happy Fathers Day!
-
Ready, set, read
-
Beautiful baobabs
-
Bobbing for crab apples
-
World Wildlife Conservation Day
-
World Olive Tree Day
-
In search of a ‘great’ pumpkin
-
Icelandic horses, Iceland
-
A center of antiquity on the Mediterranean
-
World Oceans Day
-
Happy Star Wars Day!
-
San Francisco Bay salt flats
-
Fashion models of the avian world
-
Ready. Set. Snow.
-
Glowworm caves in Australia
-
World Turtle Day
-
New Year s Eve
-
Waiānapanapa State Park, Maui, Hawaii
-
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
-
The desert blooms
-
Groundhog Day
-
A festival of colors
-
Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
-
Climb a tree for wild animals and plants
-
Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia