No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsEnvironment and WildlifeThis gross discovery may make you rethink your obsession with sloths

This gross discovery may make you rethink your obsession with sloths

Over the past few years the sloth has turned into the celebrity of the animal kingdom. But while the animal may look adorable on your computer screen, a new biological theory reveals just how un-cute a real sloth would be to most of its fan base. A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B may finally answer one of biology’s biggest mysteries about sloths –we’re talking about the riddle of sloth bowel movements.

Once a week, the animal will descend from its tree to defecate on the ground. This risky endeavor makes it vulnerable to predators. So, why doesn’t a sloth just poop from the treetops?

Researcher Jonathan Pauli from the University of Wisconsin-Madison believes it is due to a bizarre symbiotic mechanism that sloths maintain with the Cryptoses moths that live in its fur.

Yes, moths that live on the sloth. And sloths help these winged creatures reproduce. With their poop. 

Doing research in Costa Rica, he followed around some three-toed sloths and made some discoveries.

After a sloth moseys on down from the canopy to do its business, the moths will lay eggs into the animal’s droppings. When the larvae hatch, they eat their way out of the dung and then fly up to lodge on the sloth. But what’s the benefit for this slowpoke mammal? The moths, according to the study, play a role in the mutually beneficial mini-ecosystem that blooms on a sloth.

Biologists have long known that a three-toed sloth’s fur serves as its own mini-ecosystem of bugs, fungi and most importantly, algae. These “algae gardens,” as researchers call them, likely serve as both camouflage and an important dietary supplement for the sloths.

To ensure maximum algae growth, a sloth’s individual hairs have cracks that will fill with rainwater. Algae grows grow hydroponically within those spaces. Sloths rely on the newly hatched moths to complete the algae coat. The moths bring up tiny particles of the sloth’s own dung to deposit in the fur. In other words, a sloth uses its own fecal matter to grow algae on its body. It’s a repugnant and nifty way for sloths to stay healthy in the jungle.

Some mysteries remain in regards to this theory. A National Geographic article wonders if this trek down the tree is still worth the energy and the risk of being eaten. There’s also a stranger concern, NatGeo’s Ed Yong writes:

Brazilian researcher Adriano Chiarello points out an even bigger problem with the hypothesis. He and his students have spent more than 1,000 hours watching maned sloths in the wild. “We never saw sloths behaving in a way that might suggest or indicate that they were somehow extracting algae or other nutrients from their fur,” he says. They’re not like cats; they clean their fur with their front paws rather than their mouths. “I don’t remember ever seeing a sloth licking or lapping its fur.”

So, how exactly are they eating the supposedly nutritious algae? “Perhaps sloths do this secretly, or solely at night when such behaviour would be even more difficult to witness,” says Chiarello. Or, perhaps they’re absorbing the nutrients directly through their skin. He’s not convinced by either possibility and, either way, “the smoking gun is missing.”

Pauli got his inspiration to begin researching this topic from a BBC video on YouTube called “The Mouldy Sloth.” Watch the great Sir David Attenborough narrate a clip from the documentary: 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Green Hotels Lead Global Sustainable Tourism

Costa Rica’s reputation as a leader in sustainable tourism grows stronger every year, with our green hotels setting a high bar for eco-conscious hospitality...

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by...

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa...

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...

U.S. – Guatemala Security Pact Targets Crime and Helps Returning Migrants

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem signed a border security cooperation agreement with Guatemala on Thursday, which includes the use of drones and...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica