Academics

The sloth is a species of nocturnal, herbivorous tree-dwellers endemic to Central and South America (Stewart et al., 2022). They are the coldest warm-blooded organisms on the planet, with an average internal temperature of 92 degrees (Carmichael, pers. comm., 2022). As canopy dwellers, they occasionally visit the forest floor for food and resources while having an average lifespan of forty years. However, the rise in deforestation is adversely influencing their very existence both directly and indirectly. A primary push factor of extinction is habitat loss, a common consequence of deforestation as sloths lose their homes. The loss of trees means less absorption of carbon dioxide, causing global temperatures to skyrocket. As a result, the threat of natural disasters significantly increases. To analyze the consequences of these events, the extinction vortex model can be used, which is a theoretical framework in which scientists can analyze the variables that lead to the vanishing of a species (Westley, pers. comm., 2022). Without further action to conserve the sloth, they could spiral into the extinction vortex, causing irreversible damage to both the species and their respective ecosystems. 

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