These cracks are host to a number of commensal species of algae, including Rufusia pillicola, Dictyococcus bradypodis, and Chlorococcum choloepodis.

[7] Certain strains of fungi that grow on brown-throated sloth fur have been shown to possess anti-parasitic, anti-cancer, and anti-bacterial qualities.

It is found from Honduras in the north, through Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama into Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil and eastern Peru.

[6] It is found in many different kinds of environments, including evergreen and dry forests and in highly perturbed natural areas.

Although they can walk along the ground, and even swim, they spend most of their lives in the high branches of trees, descending once every eight days or so to defecate in the soil.

[10] Large, curved claws and muscles specifically adapted for strength and stamina help them to keep a strong grip on tree branches.

[11] They are able to withstand hanging inverted for extended periods of time due to fibrinous adhesions which attach their organs (such as their liver and stomach) to their lower ribs.

[12] Given that feces and urine can account for up to a third of their body weight, this adaptation prevents these organs from pressing on the lungs when hanging upside down, making breathing easier.

[6] 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.

[24] Studies of the brown-throated sloth indicate that mating is most common between January and March in at least the northern parts of its range, but this may vary elsewhere.

This process apparently allows them to quickly identify edible leaves, and young sloths typically have the same preferences for leaf types as their mothers.