Three-toed Sloth

The most photographed animal in Panama and symbol of the slow pace of tropical life. With its permanent smile and slow-motion movements, the sloth is one of the most beloved mammals in the country.

Bradypus variegatus, the three-toed sloth, is one of Panama's most emblematic mammals. Its fur hosts symbiotic algae giving it a greenish tone, providing camouflage in the canopy. It spends most of its life hanging upside down from branches, descending to the ground only once a week to defecate. Its extremely slow metabolism allows it to survive on a diet based almost exclusively on leaves. In Panama it is common in forests throughout the country, especially in Bocas del Toro, the Canal Watershed, and Darién. Panama is one of the best places in the world to observe sloths in the wild.

Habitat

Wet and dry forests throughout Panama, from sea level to 2400 meters