May 2012. A group of tiny sloths living on an uninhabited island will finally counted, after a team from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) conducted the first ever population census of the pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus).
Only found on 1 small island
The team undertook a nine-day expedition to Escudo Island, 17km off the coast of Panama, which is the only place in the world where the sloths are found. There, they conducted the first detailed population and habitat survey of the area, and spent time monitoring the unique behaviours of the world's slowest mammal.
The team undertook a nine-day expedition to Escudo Island, 17km off the coast of Panama, which is the only place in the world where the sloths are found. There, they conducted the first detailed population and habitat survey of the area, and spent time monitoring the unique behaviours of the world's slowest mammal.
16th most endangered mammal
At half the size of their mainland cousins, and weighing roughly the same as a newborn baby, pygmy sloths are the smallest and slowest sloths in the world. They are ranked at number 16 on the EDGE of Existence mammals list and remain critically endangered.
ZSL's David Curnick says: "Very little is known about this species. Current population estimates are, at a best guess, less than 500, but this is only based on anecdotal evidence. We've collected data for the first time to get an accurate picture of how many pygmy sloths are left in the world."
At half the size of their mainland cousins, and weighing roughly the same as a newborn baby, pygmy sloths are the smallest and slowest sloths in the world. They are ranked at number 16 on the EDGE of Existence mammals list and remain critically endangered.
ZSL's David Curnick says: "Very little is known about this species. Current population estimates are, at a best guess, less than 500, but this is only based on anecdotal evidence. We've collected data for the first time to get an accurate picture of how many pygmy sloths are left in the world."
More endemic species
Escudo is an unpopulated island fringed by mangrove forests, and roughly the size of New York's Central Park. As well as sloths, it is known to be home to several other endemic species, including the neotropical fruit bat (Artibeus incomitatus) and the maritime worm salamander (Oedipina maritime), but very little is known about its wildlife, and the island remains largely unexplored.
Escudo is an unpopulated island fringed by mangrove forests, and roughly the size of New York's Central Park. As well as sloths, it is known to be home to several other endemic species, including the neotropical fruit bat (Artibeus incomitatus) and the maritime worm salamander (Oedipina maritime), but very little is known about its wildlife, and the island remains largely unexplored.
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