“Sloths move about 120 feet (37m) per day – at a top speed of about TWO INCHES (5 cm) per second.”

National Geographic Kids, fact #4 on sloths, 5,000 Awesome Facts

One mile equals the equivalent to 5,280 feet. A human walks a mile anywhere from 15-22 minutes, all depending on speed and age and geography. It would take a sloth moving at top speed 6.7 hours to complete a mile.

However, sloths only move 120-124 feet per day, about 10 feet per minute, and 600 feet per hour. They actually move faster in the trees at a rate of 10 feet per minute verses 6 feet on land. Over a course of a day they will travel about less than 1/2 of a football field.

The reason for their slowness is their metabolism, which is extremely slow, making up about 40-45% of their weight. Their movements are therefore used very sparingly. Very sparingly.

Being slow has some advantages and disadvantages. Their slow speed and metabolism allows them to “escape” predators, for lack of detection from their prey, but a disadvantage when discovered and being attacked on the ground. They mainly have to rely on camouflage and slow speed to remain unseen from predators, such as harpy eagles and jaguars.

HTTPS//worldanimalprotection.us

Sloth Conservation