Sloths Can Hold Their Breath Longer Than Dolphins

Despite being land-dwelling creatures, sloths possess extraordinary breath-holding capabilities that exceed those of dolphins and many other marine mammals. When submerged, sloths can reduce their already slow metabolism even further, dropping their heart rate to less than a third of its normal pace. This allows them to hold their breath for up to 40 minutes underwater. Sloths are surprisingly capable swimmers, moving through water three times faster than they can walk on land. Their long arms work like paddles for propulsion. The sloths enormous stomach, filled with gas from digesting leaves, acts as a natural flotation device. Their long necks allow them to keep their noses above water like a snorkel. In the rainforests of Central and South America where they live, rivers fragment the forest canopy. While monkeys can leap across these gaps, sloths cannot jump and must swim to reach new territories. The pygmy three-toed sloth is even known to swim in saltwater. This unexpected aquatic ability demonstrates how sloths have adapted to their environment in ways that contradict their reputation as purely slow, tree-bound creatures.