The Strange Symbiosis Between Sloths and Moths
Once a week, three-toed sloths slowly descend from the leafy forest canopy to poop on the ground. Why do these sluggish mammals go on such a long and potentially dangerous journey instead of just letting it fly from the treetops? Scientists now believe the answer has to do with the odd, symbiotic relationship between sloths and moths.
A dangerous toilet Only about 10 mammalian species — less than 0.2 percent of all mammals — have evolved to eat leaves and fruit that can only be found by climbing trees. Mostly that’s because living high in the trees imposes certain lifestyle constraints. First, the animals must be small and light enough to live in that habitat; and second, must be able to digest a huge amount of plant matter, which i… Continue Reading (5 minute read)