Sloths at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Sloths

Learn about the slow-moving lifestyle of sloths

Come see two-toed sloths at Animal Connections.

Sloths are tree-dwelling animals known for their slow-moving lifestyle. Native to Central and South American rain forests, sloths are well adapted for living high in trees due to their uniquely large nails on their hands and feet that allow them to hang from branches. Sloths spend almost their entire life upside down in the trees. They eat, sleep, mate and give birth from this position hanging high among the branches. Sloths are herbivores, which mean they eat a plant-based diet.


Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is home to more than 10 sloths including Hoffman’s and Linne’s two-toed sloths. Guests can get up close to sloths at Animal Connections, Busch Gardens’ home to animal ambassadors.


Location: Animal Connections in Nairobi

Ask an Educator about Sloths

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How many hours a day do sloths sleep?

Sloths spend over 20 hours a day sleeping.

What is the lifespan of a sloth?

Sloths live an average lifespan of about 10 years in the wild, but in managed care like Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, they may live until their twenties. Two-toed sloth, Harry, is estimated to be in his late forties, making him one of the oldest sloths in the world.  

Why do sloths move so slowly?

Sloths move slowly as a form of camouflage. Moss and algae grow on their coat, giving them the perfect protection from predators. 

What is a sloth’s diet?

Sloths eat a plant-based diet. Our sloths here at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have a perfectly tailored diet created by Dr. Heidi Bissell. Dr. Heidi is a zoo nutritionist (one of 20 in the entire world!) who determines what an animal should eat in managed care in comparison to what they eat in the wild.  

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