HEADSCRATCHERS

Seeking answers to your science questions? Ask our resident expert, Peter Gallivan

- Peter Gallivan

Hi, I’m Pete, and I love science and the natural world. I work with the Roy al Institution (Ri) in London, where you can find exciting, hands-on science events for young people. We’ve teamed up with The Week Junior Science+Nature to answer your burning science questions.

How do sloths stay alive if they move so slowly?

Harry

Sloths, as their name suggests, are some of the slowest animals on the planet, moving on average just 40 metres per day. They have adapted to a specific way of life. Up in the trees of tropical jungles, they are safe from predators and have no need to move quickly to escape. Instead they stay still, safely camouflaged among the leafy tree canopy. The hot weather also means they don’t waste energy keeping their bodies warm – a big energy-zapper for mammals in colder environments.

This all means that sloths don’t really require much energy to stay alive. That is good news, because their diet of leaves and tree bark doesn’t contain much nutrition, and their four-chambered stomachs take days to digest any meals.