Three-toed sloth in Costa Rica

© Harry Collins/Getty Image

Hanging in there. International Sloth Day

The world's slowest mammal takes the spotlight today on International Sloth Day. Celebrated on October 20, it highlights their lives, conservation efforts, and the threats they face, including shrinking habitats. There are six living sloth species, divided into two types: three-toed sloths and two-toed sloths.

Today's image features the laid-back, tree-loving, three-toed sloth, found in the tropical regions of South and Central America. With three clawed toes on each limb, they cling onto branches with ease. Sloths are mainly leaf eaters, and to help them break down 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. They're so slow-moving that algae often develop on their fur, giving a greenish tint that provides them camouflage.