Sloths live life in slow motion, hanging upside-down in rainforest trees and moving only about 40 yards a day. Going slow is actually their superpower: predators like eagles and jaguars simply don't notice them.
📋 Sloth at a glance
⚡ Superpower
Sloths move so slowly that green algae grows in their fur — turning them into living, leafy camouflage.
🤩 Amazing Sloth facts
Algae grows in sloth fur, giving them a greenish tint that hides them in the trees.
❓ Common questions about sloths
How big is a sloth?
Up to 17 lb (8 kg). Algae grows in sloth fur, giving them a greenish tint that hides them in the trees.
Where do sloths live?
Sloths live in the wild: rainforests of central & south america. They are wild animals and are never kept as pets.
How long do sloths live?
Sloths typically live 20–30 years.
Can you keep a sloth as a pet?
No — Sloths are wild animals that belong in the wild (rainforests of central & south america), and keeping one would be unsafe and usually illegal. The closest pet you can actually keep is a tortoise — see our care guide.
Could you keep a sloth as a pet?
No — sloths are wild animals that belong in the wild, and keeping one would be unsafe and almost always illegal. But if sloths are your favorite, here's the closest pet you actually can welcome home:
Meet the TortoiseBecause no pet is as slow-and-steady as a sloth, but a tortoise shares that famously laid-back pace.
See care guide →
🎬 See sloths in action
Watch kid-friendly videos about sloths on YouTube.
▶ Watch Sloth videos on YouTube