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Sloths have many predators, including the jaguars, cougars, ocelots, [21] harpy eagles, [22] margays, and anacondas. [4] There have also been increased rates of attack on Hoffmann sloths by domestic dogs, particularly in arboreal areas that are in the process of development and urbanization. [23]
The two species of Choloepus (which means "lame foot" in Ancient Greek [5]), Linnaeus's two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) and Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni), were formerly believed on the basis of morphological studies to be the only surviving members of the sloth family Megalonychidae, [6] but have now been shown by ...
Paramylodon is an extinct genus of sloth from the extinct family Mylodontidae.Mylodontidae is grouped together with modern two-toed sloths of the family Choloepodidae and the extinct Scelidotheriidae, in the superfamily Mylodontoidea, with the former family being their closest living relatives.
Family †Megalonychidae: megalonychid ground sloths; Family †Megatheriidae: megatheriid ground sloths; Family †Nothrotheriidae: nothrotheriid ground sloths and aquatic sloths; Family Choloepodidae: two-toed sloths Hoffman's two-toed sloth, Choloepus hoffmanni; Linnaeus's two-toed sloth or southern two-toed sloth, Choloepus didactylus
Family †Megalonychidae Gervais 1855 (megalonychid ground sloths) Family †Megatheriidae Gray 1821 (megatheriid ground sloths) Family †Nothrotheriidae Ameghino 1920 (nothrotheriid ground sloths) Superfamily Mylodontoidea Gill 1872. Family Choloepodidae Pocock 1924 (two-toed sloths) Family †Mylodontidae Gill 1872 (mylodontid ground sloths)
Sloths can be 60 to 80 cm (24 to 31 in) long and, depending on the species, weigh from 3.6 to 7.7 kg (7.9 to 17.0 lb). Two-toed sloths are slightly larger than three-toed sloths. [22] Sloths have long limbs and rounded heads with tiny ears. Three-toed sloths also have stubby tails about 5 to 6 cm (2.0 to 2.4 in) long.
The latter results indicate that Choloepodidae is closer to Mylodontidae than Scelidotheriidae is. The only other living sloth family, Bradypodidae (three-toed sloths), belongs to a different sloth radiation, Megatherioidea. [5] [6] The mylodontoids form one of three major radiations of sloths.
Brown-throated sloths inhabit the high canopy of the forest, where they eat young leaves from a wide range of different trees (primarily in the genus Cecropia), as well as flowers and fruits. [13] They do not travel far, with home ranges of only around 0.5 to 9 ha (1.2 to 22.2 acres), depending on the local environment.