Three-toed sloth in Costa Rica Oct 20, 2024

Three-toed sloth in Costa Rica

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:

Nov 22, 2025Monte Sirente, Abruzzo, Italy
Apr 18, 2024Medieval city walls, Ávila, Spain
Mar 7, 2024Roques de Benet, Catalonia, Spain
Sep 17, 2023Cuban tody, Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, Cuba
Jun 27, 2025Splendid leaf frog
Feb 14, 2024Red-crowned crane
Aug 9, 2024Inca ruin of Sacsayhuamán near Cusco, Peru
Mar 13, 2024Lesser flamingos, Lake Magadi, Kenya
Jul 11, 2025Tokyo at sunrise, Japan
Mar 29, 2026Peggys Point Lighthouse, Atlantic Coast, Nova Scotia, Canada
May 3, 2025Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Oct 1, 2025Clark Range, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
Apr 20, 2025Yellow warbler in Canada
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands
Nov 18, 2025Male hooded merganser
Feb 22, 2026Mam Tor, Derbyshire, England
Jun 3, 2025Bicycles on a bridge in Utrecht, Netherlands
Jun 2, 2024Ploumanach Lighthouse, France
Dec 10, 2025Castle of Rocca Calascio, Italy
Jul 3, 2025Rainbow River, Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida, United States
Dec 18, 2025Temple of the Sun, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States
Mar 28, 2025Black-naped monarch
Dec 23, 2024Two red-crowned cranes in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan
May 5, 2025Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
May 31, 2024Gunnerside, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
Nov 25, 2024Maasai giraffes
Feb 11, 2026Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California, USA
Feb 14, 2026Bleeding hearts
Jan 24, 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Nov 21, 2025Harbour seals