![]() The face is buff to tan a dark band runs across the brow, surrounded by an orange patch. Moreover, the brown-throated sloth is lighter on the crown. The brown-throated sloth is nearly 40% heavier and 15% smaller in head-and-body length than the pygmy three-toed sloth. According to Anderson and Handley Jr., the head-and-body length is between 48 and 53 centimetres (19 and 21 in), and the body mass ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 kg (5.5 to 7.7 lb). The pygmy three-toed sloth is significantly smaller than the other members of its genus, but otherwise resembles the brown-throated sloth. Pygmy three-toed sloth on Isla Escudo de Veraguas 'Monk sloth' and 'dwarf sloth' are two other names for this sloth. The specific name pygmaeus comes from the Greek pugmaios ("as small as a fist"). The generic name Bradypus is the combination of two Greek words: brady ("slow") and pous ("foot"). According to molecular phylogenetic analysis, Bradypodidae nests with Megalonychidae, Megatheriidae and Nothrotheriidae in the sloth superfamily Megatherioidea. The pygmy three-toed sloth is one of the four extant members of the genus Bradypus, and is classified under the family Bradypodidae. In another study the following year, the researchers observed that the mean body size of three-toed sloths on an island decreases linearly as the age of the island increases the area of the island and the distance from the mainland, however, do not appear to significantly affect dwarfing. They proposed that this species evolved from an isolated population that had originated from the mainland population of brown-throated three-toed sloths it gradually differentiated enough to become an independent species through insular dwarfism. The researchers further pointed out that Isla Escudos de Veraguas is the oldest island and located farthest from the mainland, which began breaking up into small islands due to rises in sea levels 10,000 years ago. Hence, they considered the three-toed sloths in Isla Escudo de Veraguas to be an independent species and formally described it from the skin and skull of an adult female. Moreover, they differ from other populations in terms of pelage and cranial characteristics. The researchers noted that the three-toed sloths found on Isla Escudo de Veraguas were significantly smaller than those that occur on the nearby outer islands of Bocas del Toro Province. Handley Jr., of the Smithsonian Institution in 2001. Anderson of the University of Kansas and Charles O. The pygmy three-toed sloth was first described by Robert P. The IUCN lists the pygmy three-toed sloth as critically endangered and they are listed on the world's 100 most threatened species. ![]() A 2012 census of pygmy three-toed sloths estimated the total population at 79. ![]() The pygmy three-toed sloth is found exclusively in the red mangroves of Isla Escudos de Veraguas, restricted to an area of 4.3 square kilometres (1.7 sq mi). Details of mating behavior and reproduction have not been documented. It is symbiotically associated with green algae, that can provide it with a camouflage. ![]() It lives high in the canopy but descends once a week to defecate on the forest floor. It has a body adapted to hang by its limbs the large curved claws help the sloth to keep a strong grip on tree branches. This sloth, like other sloths, is arboreal (tree-living) and feeds on leaves. The pygmy three-toed sloth is significantly smaller than the other three members of its genus, but otherwise resembles the brown-throated three-toed sloth. The species was first described by Robert P. The species is endemic to Isla Escudo de Veraguas, a small island off the Caribbean coast of Panama. The pygmy three-toed sloth ( Bradypus pygmaeus), also known as the monk sloth or dwarf sloth, is a species of sloth in the family Bradypodidae.
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