A Sloth's Life

A SLOTH’S LIFE

Anita Ganeri

Come on a trip to the rainforest!

Take a look into the fascinating lives of sloths!

A SL H’S OT

F7 – 100 WPM

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Contents Sloth world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Chapter 1 Meet a sloth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Odd ones out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Chapter 2 Sloth features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Rainforest neighbours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Chapter 3 Sloths in slow motion . . . . . . . . .32 Who’s the slowest? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Chapter 4 Sloth life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Sloth trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Chapter 5 Sloths in trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Rainforest riches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Chapter 6 Saving sloths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Sloth rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 About the author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Book chat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

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Sloth world The best place to see sloths is in the wild. So, you’ll need to head for Central and South America.

Here’s a handy map of where to go. = sloths!

Nicaragua Costa Rica

1 Venezuela

Guyana Suriname French Guiana

Panama

2

Colombia Ecuador

3 4 Brazil

Peru

5 Bolivia Paraguay

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1

pygmy three-toed sloth

2

pale-throated sloth

3

brown-throated sloth

4

Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth

5

Hoffman’s two-toed sloth

6

maned sloth

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Chapter 1

Meet a sloth Hi, my name’s Anna, and I LOVE SLOTHS. They’re my favourite animals ever. I work as a naturalist in Costa Rica, where I get to study them all day long. I’m very lucky. It’s the best job in the world! Today, we’re going sloth-watching in the rainforest. But first, I need to check that you’ve come well prepared.

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Sloth watch checklist What you will need: Binoculars – sloths can be hard to spot because their green-brown fur blends in with the trees.

So, it’s easy to think you’ve seen a sloth when you’re actually watching a big clump of leaves. We’ve all done that, even me!

Long trousers – it’s going to be hot and sticky in the rainforest but don’t wear shorts and a T-shirt. You’ll be eaten alive by mosquitoes. Make sure you’ve got long trousers and long-sleeved tops. And don’t forget your mosquito spray.

Trust me, you don’t want to have itchy bites for the rest of your trip!

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Proper shoes – like walking boots or trainers, not sandals. There may be venomous snakes about, and closed shoes protect you better from bites.

Water bottle – you’ll sweat a lot in the rainforest so make sure your water bottle is full.

You need to drink plenty, as otherwise, you might start feeling ill.

Patience – you’re going to need lots and lots of this. Sloths don’t like to hurry so you could be hanging around for a while before one appears.

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First-time sloths Local people in Central and South America have known about sloths for thousands of years. But when explorers from Europe first came across sloths in the 16th century, they were astonished. They had never seen anything like sloths, with their unusual looks and their very s..l..o..w movements.

Later, scientists gave these creatures the name “sloth”, a word which means laziness.

Sadly, the name stuck, which is really unfair on sloths.

They might not be speedy movers but they’re always busy.

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A SLOTH’S LIFE

Anita Ganeri

Come on a trip to the rainforest!

Take a look into the fascinating lives of sloths!

A SL H’S OT

F7 – 100 WPM

Anita Ganeri 81173_COVER.indd 1

23/05/2024 13:19