THE TWO-TOED SLOTH 



(Cholcepus didadylus) 



The Sloth has achieved the somewhat paradoxical feat of acquiring 

 an extended reputation merely by not exerting himself, although his 

 sluggishness has been somewhat overrated by people who have not had 

 the opportunity of observing him under the only conditions for which 

 he is fitted liy nature. 



The Sloth is, indeed, one of the most perfect examples of an animal 

 specialised exclusively for one way of living — in his case, that of tree- 

 climbing, and climbing upside-down at that. His long limbs are termi- 

 nated by two toes only on the fore-feet, and three on the hind, and 

 these are joined in a common skin, and provided with powerful hook- 

 like claws, so that he remains suspended without the slightest muscular 

 exertion. His tail, which would be of no importance to a creature in 

 his position, is a mere rudiment, and, like his ears, not noticeable, 

 especially as his coat is so long and shaggy, except on the face. 



His muzzle is short, and but poorly provided with teeth ; indeed, 

 he belongs; to the order of beasts known as Edentata or toothless 

 animals, in all of which the teeth, though usually not completely absent, 

 are deficient in the front of the mouth, and of very simple shape 

 elsewhere. Thus the Two-toed Sloth has no incisors, and, indeed, 

 only ten teeth at all in the upper jaw, and eight in the lower, which 

 are peg-like in shape; the first pairs in each jaw are bigger than the 

 others, however. 



In size the Sloth may be compared to a Terrier ; and in colour it 

 is very variable ; generally, however, in a wild state it exhibits a decided 

 greenish tinge, which, is not due to the colour of the hair itself, but 

 to the growth of minute vegetable organisms on it, this being ren- 

 dered more possible by the fact that each hair is minutely grooved. 

 The SJoth therefore may almost be said tD gather moss, unlike the 



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