Yes, sloths are cute, but we can't hug them It's important to remember that just because a sloth likes to snuggle a tree does not mean they want to snuggle us! Except for raising their young, sloths are solitary, wild animals, and they don't need humans to go around trying to hold them.
Due to their inherent lack of aggression, sloths are not a threat to humans. Sloths are solitary creatures who want to be left alone, thus unlike household animals, they do not like to be touched. So, if you come too close for their comfort, they can be deadly and severely hurt people.
Because they are wild animals, sloths do not crave or seek out human contact (even hand-raised ones once they have reached maturity). So unfortunately no matter how much love you plan on showering on your pet sloth, they will simply not reciprocate.
Though they may appear just as endearing as our domestic pets, sloths maintain their natural instincts. Generally, sloths do not like to be pet, groomed or bathed.
They can cause the sloth undue distress
There has been research done that shows that sloths definitely do not like being held. When they are held, their heart rates increase and they are visibly more alert, indicating that being held by people can be very distressing and disorienting.
Apparently, sloths are indifferent to humans. Despite the good intentions of people, there are many misconceptions about the behaviour and needs of sloths, which causes low wellbeing for the animals. These results demonstrate that actions in environmental education of the public could be beneficial for sloths.
Having a good spatial memory is important for sloths as they have poor eyesight. They navigate around their home ranges using their memory and sense of smell! However, the sloths social skills and problem solving abilities are somewhat lacking, which often leads to them being labelled as “stupid”.
While it's not yet possible to have a pet sloth in Australia, if that day ever does come around they might just replace dogs as the ultimate family pet.
Are Sloths Friendly? While sloths are famous for being easy-going, they are not social animals. In the wild, they live alone and try not to draw attention from other animals in order to avoid predators. Since they are solitary, most sloths don't expect to be touched and can find even gentle petting quite threatening.
Sloths have an average body temperature of around 31 degrees, so they can't survive outside of the tropics. Oh, me? I am just hanging around. Like koalas, there's a common misconception that sloths are slow and lazy because they're always high, or something along those lines.
When left alone, sloths are not dangerous by any means, but when threatened, they can inflict pain. If sloths are left alone in their natural environment, they pose no threat to humans. If they feel threatened, they can use their long nails or teeth to inflict pain.
Sloths are very sensitive animals. Touching a sloth can be harmful because they are strongly olfactory animals – meaning they can become stressed by the lotions and perfumes people wear, loud noises, or by improperly handling them.
Sloths are gentle creatures – their scientific name, Bradypus, means 'slow feet' in Greek. But many are being snatched from the wild for tourist selfies. Found in Central and South America, sloths call the tall trees their home, as their long claws make it difficult for them to walk on the ground.
Sloths Are High-maintenance Pets
In general, sloths do not make good pets due to their sensitive stomachs, specialized diet, hard-to-find veterinary care, and their need for a warm, humid habitat with plenty of high branches or hammocks from which to sleep, eat, and hang out.
Exotic animals such as monkeys, lions and tigers can only be held by licensed persons and usually only for exhibition or conservation purposes – they cannot be sold for commercial purposes or kept as pets by private owners.
Life on Land
On land, sloths' weak hind legs provide no power and their long claws are a hindrance. They must dig into the earth with their front claws and use their strong front legs to pull themselves along, dragging their bellies across the ground.
They have a very rare condition called rod monochromacy which means that they completely lack cone cells in their eyes. As a result all sloths are colour-blind, can only see poorly in dim light and are completely blind in bright daylight.
This extraordinary plant predator is half blind, half deaf and spends most of its time sleeping in trees. So how does a sloth's day compare to ours?
The animals have been known to drop from the branches they're clinging to into rivers below to take a swim, an activity they seem to enjoy. And sloths are surprisingly skilled at this water sport. They move three times faster in water than on land.
When used as props for tourist photos, they are constantly surrounded by noise and poorly handled by guides and tourists alike. Research shows that sloths are frequently held by their claws or arms with no support, causing them to experience high levels of fear and stress.
Sloths, unlike many animals, do not show obvious external signs of stress. Their natural response to fear or danger is to hold still, and as a result, it is difficult to tell when a sloth is scared or stressed.
Sloths are known reservoirs of the flagellate protozoan which causes leishmaniasis in humans, and may also carry trypanosomes and the protozoan Pneumocystis carinii.
What happens if a sloth bites you? On the off chance that you do get bit by a sloth, do not be alarmed because they are not poisonous and neither are their fur or claws. Sloth bites can easily become infected, however.