Sloths have little muscle mass
In addition to a low and variable body temperature, sloths have also sacrificed muscle tissue. Although they might look quite large, most of a sloth’s visual mass comes from their unusually thick fur (probably another method of maintaining body heat).
Underneath all the hair, sloths are surprisingly skinny. Muscle tissue is metabolically expensive to maintain, and in order to save energy, sloths have just 30% of the muscle mass expected for a mammal of similar size. Despite this apparent deficiency, sloths have an unusual muscle arrangement which gives them surprising strength and very high resistance to fatigue.
Did You Know?
Designed Upside Down
Sloths are anatomically designed for hanging upside down in the trees – even their organs are uniquely anchored against their ribs to prevent their weight from squashing the lungs when inverted! However, sloths do occasionally have to descend from the canopy and cross the ground to move between trees, and this is when they are at their most vulnerable.
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