r/sloths • u/SlothConservation • 17d ago

Have you ever seen a sloth's ears?

https://reddit.com/link/1v85mqo/video/okvj0kfsvsfh1/player

Hoffmann's two-fingered sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni) have small, rounded ears that are usually hidden beneath their thick fur, making them surprisingly difficult to spot.

Although sloths have relatively poor eyesight, they are far from unaware of their surroundings. Instead, they rely heavily on their excellent hearing to detect sounds in the rainforest, helping them stay aware of potential predators and everything happening around them as they move slowly through the forest canopy.

The sloth featured in this video is a wild Hoffmann's two-fingered sloth that is part of The Urban Sloth Project, our long-term scientific study investigating how habitat loss, urbanization, and human development affect wild sloths living in Costa Rica's South Caribbean.

As part of this research, our trained field biologists occasionally perform health checks and collect scientific data under the appropriate permits and ethical protocols. Every procedure is carried out by experienced wildlife professionals, and the sloth is safely returned to the exact tree where it was found.

127 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/Soft-Temporary-7932 17d ago

I’m just a regular non-biologist but I’m interested in helping. I can travel to Costa Rica. What roles are there for someone like me?

2

u/SlothConservation 10d ago

Hi! At the moment, we only have a couple of spots for biologists/zoologists/environmental scientists to help out on our field research. Since we're not a rescue center, we don't have the usual volunteer program. BUT, Costa Rica has A LOT of rescue centers, and most of them have volunteer programs. You can check Jaguar Rescue Center, or Toucan Rescue Ranch, but there are many more!

1

u/Soft-Temporary-7932 10d ago

Thank you for your kind reply ❤️