Brown-throated three-toed sloth Mar 30, 2024

Brown-throated three-toed sloth

Costa Rica"s lush 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 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 can make up to 30% of their body weight when full. These shaggy critters are so sedentary that algae grow on their coats. This symbiotic relationship provides them with a greenish hue, offering effective camouflage 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 in 2021 to emphasize the sloths" importance in the country"s ecosystem.

© Juan Carlos Vindas/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Mar 30, 2025Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
Mar 30, 2026Demoiselle cranes, India

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 19, 2024Bufadero de la Garita, Gran Canaria, Spain
Jun 11, 2024A group of Southern gemsbok in the savannah, Botswana, USA
Dec 12, 2024Poinsettia flower
Jan 9, 2025Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namib desert, Namibia
May 7, 2024Duckling in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
Nov 16, 2023Athens and the Acropolis, Greece
Aug 30, 2023Whale shark, Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Sep 15, 2023Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland
Jul 5, 2025Cize-Bolozon viaduct, France
Dec 13, 2025Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
Dec 11, 2024Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy
Sep 27, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
Nov 14, 2024Manarola, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy
Apr 13, 2026Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, United States
Apr 6, 2026Hirosaki Castle with cherry blossoms, Hirosaki, Japan
Aug 10, 2025Lioness in Kenya
Mar 10, 2024Prosecco Hills, Veneto, Italy
Oct 29, 2024Great horned owl
Dec 10, 2024Lands End, Cornwall, England
Aug 11, 2024Wooden path to Kennedy Lake, Vancouver Island, Canada
Apr 4, 2025National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, DC, United States
Mar 14, 2025Dolmen of Sorginetxe, Spain
Sep 18, 2025Dunquin Pier, County Kerry, Ireland
Sep 29, 2023Jiaxiu Tower, Guiyang, China
May 26, 2025Hozugawa River in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Mar 26, 2026Logan Creek Suspension Bridge, West Coast Trail, Canada
Nov 16, 2025A traboule in Lyon, France
Jul 12, 2025Thomsons gazelles
Jan 14, 2026Fortress of Palamidi, Nafplio, Greece
Jan 4, 2025Bản Giốc – Detian Falls, Vietnam