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Meet Bart

Two-Toed Sloth

Personal Info

Bart, short for Bartholomew, became a resident of Out of Africa in 2008. He moved into his new sloth exhibit in 2016, allowing visitors the opportunity to see him more closely. He really enjoys the new home, especially the two hammocks we built for him. Like all sloths, Bart is nocturnal. Sleeping or lethargic during the day, he comes to life at night, as evidenced by the food scraps he scatters around every corner of his house. Those doing a sloth encounter need not worry that Bart will sleep through the experience. Once he smells his favorite food, tofu, he doesn’t care what time of day it is. You’ve got his attention!

Habitat

Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, also known as the southern two-toed sloth, unau, or Linne’s two-toed sloth, is a species of sloth from South America. These nocturnal tree-dwellers spend their lives in tropical rain forests and cloud forests. Their range includes Venezuela, the Guianas, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil north of the Amazon River. Recent evidence suggests the species’ range even expands to Bolivia.

Physical

The sloth’s head is short and flat, with a snub nose, rudimentary ears, and large eyes. They possess a short, fine undercoat and an overcoat of longer, coarser hairs, which turn green in moist conditions due to algae growth. This greenish tint camouflages them in the forest canopy. Their fur also harbors moths, ticks, and beetles. Unlike most animals, the sloth’s fur is parted on the belly and curves across the back, allowing rain to run off.

Life Cycle

Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth live between 15 and 20 years in the wild, but they can reach over 30 years in captivity with good care. Males reach sexual maturity between 4 and 5 years of age, females at 3 years. Two-toed sloths have a gestation period of about 6 months. The female gives birth to a single offspring while hanging upside down. A well-developed baby sloth is about 10 inches long and weighs 12 to 16 ounces.

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