Hoffmann's two-toed sloth, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica

© Suzi Eszterhas/Minden Picture

Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth

Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, also known as the northern two-toed sloth, is a species of sloth found in the rainforests and deciduous forests of Central and South America. True to their stereotype, they live a slow-paced life and are one of the world’s slowest mammals. They sleep between 15 to 20 hours every day. Their arms, legs, hands and feet evolved for hanging out of trees like the pair of Hoffmann's two-toed sloths in today's photo.

The mother and child in today's photo are relaxing together in a coastal town of Costa Rica. They won't be together forever, though, as they prefer a solitary life. While gestation lasts 11.5 months, newborns are precocial and are usually capable of hanging upside down on their own between three to five weeks after birth. After around a year they go out on their own, and adult sloths rarely interact with one another.