AnimalsSloths hang upside down from branches and move very slowly to save energy. Their fur often looks green because tiny algae grow in it, which helps them hide. They come down to the ground only about once a week.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Bradypus variegatus
- Group
- Mammals
- Diet
- Herbivore (eats plants)
- Lives in
- Central and South America
- Habitat
- Rainforest treetops
- A young one is called
- pup
- A group is called
- no special name
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Mammalia
- Order Pilosa
- Family Bradypodidae
- Genus Bradypus
- Species Bradypus variegatus
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The three-toed sloth is listed as Least Concern. The species is widespread or numerous enough that it is not considered at risk of extinction at present.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.