Singing from South America – Why sloths aren’t really lazy – Know

The sloth has had a sluggish reputation since its discovery by Europeans. Wrongly: It lives energy-consciously and is even musical.

South America 500 years ago. European invaders discover the continent. The diverse flora and fauna are overwhelming – not just visually. Somewhere in the dense rainforest there is an animal that sings so finely and beautifully that it is clear to Europeans: This animal invented music because it knows the scale.

The musical enthusiasm did not last long. When the Europeans later saw the mysterious animal, its reputation was immediately gone. The hanging, slow animal was named a sloth by the wonderfully singing creature – and henceforth also condemned, because laziness is one of the seven deadly Christian sins.

Economy at the highest level

However, sloths are by no means lazy, rather they are extremely energy-conscious. In the course of evolution, they have specialized in saving energy in the difficult-to-digest leafy diet that animals put in their mouths every day. They reduce exertion to a minimum: little movement, a lot of sleep – up to 20 hours a day – and hanging around in the treetops, which they can achieve thanks to their hook-shaped claws without the use of muscle power.

There are six different types of sloths. They hang horizontally, 30 to 40 meters above the ground, with their backs down. Therefore, due to gravity, they do not wear the middle part on their head, but on their stomach.

When it comes to hygiene, sloths only rely on the rain shower and going to the toilet is also economical. The animal only climbs slowly from the tree every seven to ten days to relieve itself on the ground. It leaves up to a third of its body weight there before it just as slowly makes its way back into the trees.

In the legends and stories of the indigenous peoples of South America, the animal is by no means a lazy one. Rather, it represents the transition between nature and culture as a shape. Parents in traditional societies also praise it for their children as a model for continence, self-discipline and frugality.

In constant company

Sloths are never alone. A whole community of different animals and plants is at home in their thick fur. They maintain an exclusive symbiotic relationship with some types of green algae, moths and caterpillars. So every sloth is also an extremely lively planet.