Sloth

Sloth, slow, tree-dwelling, toothless mammal. There are 2 genera of modern tree sloths; 2-toed sloths (Choloepus) and 3-toed sloths, or ai (Bradypus), descending from the giant ground sloths (Megatherium) of the Pleistocene epoch. The arms and legs are long and the digits are bound together by tissue and terminate in long, strong claws. With these the sloth can suspend its body from branches. All sloths are South American in origin and vegetarian, feeding on fruits, shoots, and leaves.