http://slothcentral.com/archives/12 A 12,000 year-old mystery in SW Iowa Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:51:50 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://slothcentral.com/archives/12/comment-page-1#comment-6 David Thu, 15 May 2008 19:25:42 +0000 http://slothcentral.com/?p=12#comment-6 Thanks Travis. I may have exaggerated slightly, but never underestimate a sloth. We get our impressions of them largely from the behavior of captive 2-toed and 3-toed sloths. That doesn't represent their natural behavior, much less that of their extinct cousins. William Beebe studied sloths in the 1920's in their natural habitat and learned a few lessons about collecting them. #1: Don't stand under the tree when you try to shoot one down. Apparently he had a lot of termite nests land on his head before he learned to stop shooting at brown blobs high in the trees. #2: To catch a sloth wait in the middle of the river and watch for them to swim across. Modern sloths aren't deterred by rivers at all as they range through their territories foraging for food. They are slow but adept and graceful swimmers. Beebe simply paddled up and grabbed them by the scruff of the neck. You're right, until competitive eating is introduced as an Olympic sport, sloths are pretty much limited to synchronized swimming. Thanks Travis. I may have exaggerated slightly, but never underestimate a sloth. We get our impressions of them largely from the behavior of captive 2-toed and 3-toed sloths. That doesn’t represent their natural behavior, much less that of their extinct cousins. William Beebe studied sloths in the 1920’s in their natural habitat and learned a few lessons about collecting them. #1: Don’t stand under the tree when you try to shoot one down. Apparently he had a lot of termite nests land on his head before he learned to stop shooting at brown blobs high in the trees. #2: To catch a sloth wait in the middle of the river and watch for them to swim across. Modern sloths aren’t deterred by rivers at all as they range through their territories foraging for food. They are slow but adept and graceful swimmers. Beebe simply paddled up and grabbed them by the scruff of the neck. You’re right, until competitive eating is introduced as an Olympic sport, sloths are pretty much limited to synchronized swimming.

]]> http://slothcentral.com/archives/12/comment-page-1#comment-5 travis Thu, 15 May 2008 18:24:00 +0000 http://slothcentral.com/?p=12#comment-5 Interesting site, I'm curious to read more about what you find. But come on--like Mark Spitz?!! Somehow I can't see sloths competing in the 50m butterfly in this summer's Olympics. Interesting site, I’m curious to read more about what you find. But come on–like Mark Spitz?!! Somehow I can’t see sloths competing in the 50m butterfly in this summer’s Olympics.

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