What Makes a Sloth Turn Green?
Meet the brown-throated sloth, one of the two species of sloth native to Costa Rica. Sloths have a reputation for a being one of the slowest moving animals on earth. In fact, a sloth's slow lifestyle allows algae to grow in its fur, causing its coat to develop a green tint. The green fur is useful camouflage for the sloth as it navigates through the treetops.
See more of Costa Rica's charismatic wildlife in
Untamed from Nat Geo Wild. Follow filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade and his two best friends as they travel throughout Costa Rica in search of the most diverse, iconic and unexpected animal species the country has to offer.
This is one of two species of sloth in Costa Rica.
Their powerful grips are built for life in the treetops.
As the world's slowest mammal, algae grows on their fur coat.
With extra neck vertebrae, they can turn their heads 270 degrees.
Their home spans 5 acres, making each tree in their home range important.
