Recently I’ve developed a fascination for sloths. It occurred to me while I was thinking about which non-human animal I’d like to be (because I had nothing better to occupy my mind with at the time) that I have a few things in common with these unique creatures, and the traits that I don’t personally identify with I find just as interesting.

1. Sloths lead a fairly sedentary, care-free lifestyle.
2. They tend to sleep approximately 10 hours per day.
3. They are strange and unusual, but cute at the same time. I love how they always appear to be smiling, as if they’re naturally content.
4. They are harmless unless they’re being threatened by potential predators, which are usually humans.
5. They are solitary creatures, with the exception of mothers and mating pairs.
6. Instead of “going to the bathroom” while they’re up in a tree, they prefer to climb down to the ground once a week, dig a hole, relieve themselves in it and cover it back up. Scientists still aren’t exactly sure why they do this, but I think they’re just being proper.
7. They are good swimmers. In fact, they probably swim better than they can walk.
8. They’re named after a deadly sin.

I would love to get an opportunity to meet—or at least observe—a sloth in person. Unfortunately they do not naturally exist in North America, and some species are difficult to hold in captivity due to their selective food preferences. At least there’s YouTube.

Camera-shy Sloth

Swimming Sloth

Baby Sloth

Road-crossing-impaired Sloth

Goth Sloth (cue “Black Planet” by The Sisters of Mercy)

Informative links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth
http://www.itsasickness.com/sloths/content/some-facts-about-sloths