Imagine trying to survive in the rainforests of Central and South America. For many animals, a habitat like this would be impossible. Yet the sloth, a mammal about 60 centimeters long, thrives there, thanks to features that scientists call adaptations: traits that help a living thing survive in its environment.
Consider long, hooked claws: this adaptation let it hang from branches for hours without tiring. Equally important is fur where tiny green algae grow, which helps it blend in with the leaves. Without these traits, the sloth would struggle to last a single season.
As a herbivore, the sloth is an animal that eats only plants; it depends on leaves, buds and fruit. Its behavior matters as much as its body: it moves so slowly that it travels only about 40 meters in a day. Behaviors like this are adaptations too, even though you cannot see them in a photograph.
The next generation faces the same challenges. Young sloths depend on their surroundings and on adult care. A baby clings to its mother's belly for about six months.
Perhaps most remarkable of all: sloths come down from the trees only about once a week. Facts like this remind us that every animal's body tells a story about the place it lives.