Nor have I ever until now seen an uglier animal or appearing as useless as this one. —Fernando de Oviedo y Valdéz, 1526.One of the meanest and ill-famed of creatures that chews the cud. —Oliver Goldsmith, 1825.Sloths have no right to be living on earth, but they would be fitting inhabitants of Mars where the year is over 1000 days long —Beebe, 1926.
A common impression one has of a sloth is of a strange hairy animal hanging upside down from a tree in the jungle and sleeping much of the time. This view is not necessarily that wrong — even the animal's name (English sloth; Portuguese preguiça, French paresseux) implies a very laid-back life-style. Sloth is listed as one of the seven deadly sins! Sloths might be regarded as the original couch potato, sleeping or resting up to 20 hours a day. Interestingly, with more than a touch of irony, the early Spanish term for the sloth was ‘perico ligero’ i.e. ‘nimble little Peter’. The animals inhabit the tropical forests from Honduras south-eastwards to Brazil, northern Argentina and Paraguay. Sloths were thus unknown in Europe until the return of the early Spanish and Portuguese explorers from the Americas. Sloths occur both east and west of the Andes and appear to thrive best in humid and forested areas, in open jungle and in the vicinity of rivers.
Detailed reviews of the anatomy and physiology of sloths, summarizing information present at the time, has been provided by Beebe, 1926; Britton (1941) and Goffart (1971). Further updates were provided by Gilmore et al. (2000; 2001; 2008).
This current review aims to bring together still more information to that covered in the earlier mentioned publications, adding findings from much of the research published over the last 20 years. The reader is referred to the previous reviews for further information regarding earlier reports. Authored by experts from across the globe: Desmond Philip Gilmore B.Sc. (Hons), PhD; Carlos Peres da Costa MD, PhD; and Denia Fittipaldi Duarte. MD, PhD.
Says the foreword by Eduardo Antonio Conde Garcia, MD; PhD, the Professor Titular de Biofísica at the Universidade Federal de Sergipe. Aracaju. Brazil: “At just the right moment in time, Carlos Peres da Costa, Desmond Gilmore and Dênia Fittipaldi Duarte, three prominent scientists and University Professors, have, to the delight of scholars, published a comprehensive, critical and sensitive review of the latest research undertaken on three- and two-toed sloths.“
He adds: “After reading this intriguing review of sloth biology it is hoped that everyone, scientists and non-scientists alike, will take an active stance in defense of these animals. This work attests to the efforts of many years of research and dedication to the study of these formidable mammals.”
Desmond Philip Gilmore B.Sc. (Hons), PhD; Carlos Peres da Costa MD, PhD and Denia Fittipaldi Duarte. MD, PhD Science. 2025. Pp. 200. Rs 700. ISBN (Print) 978-93-95795-19-7 ISBN (Ebook) 978-93-95795-58-6
