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Warming Temperatures Threaten Sloths, Especially in High-Altitude Regions

New research reveals that rising temperatures pose a serious threat to sloths, particularly those living in high-altitude environments. These slow-moving mammals, known for their sluggish metabolism and limited ability to regulate body temperature, may struggle to survive as the planet warms.

A study led by Rebecca Cliffe, a sloth expert with over 15 years of experience studying the species in Costa Rica, highlights the growing concern. “In areas where sloths were once abundant, we have observed their populations completely disappear over the past decade,” Cliffe said.

The research, published in PeerJ Life & Environment, focused on two-fingered sloths living in both lowland and highland regions of Costa Rica. By studying the animals’ oxygen consumption and core body temperature in simulated Climate change conditions, researchers aimed to determine how they might cope with projected temperature increases by the year 2100. The results are troubling, especially for sloths in higher elevations. These sloths showed a sharp increase in their resting metabolic rate (RMR) as temperatures rose, meaning their energy demands increased significantly. Unfortunately, sloths are not well-equipped to handle such changes. They survive on an extremely low-calorie diet and are not able to regulate their body temperature like other mammals, a process that requires significant energy.

“Sloths are uniquely vulnerable to rising temperatures due to their physiological adaptations,” Cliffe explained. Their diet and metabolism allow them to conserve energy, but when their metabolic needs increase in hotter environments, they can’t easily adjust by eating more. Sloths also digest food much more slowly than other animals, further limiting their ability to meet increased energy demands.

Lowland sloths, in contrast, have a slightly better chance of adapting to warmer temperatures. When the heat exceeds their comfort zone, these sloths enter a state of metabolic depression, reducing their energy needs. However, even this survival strategy has its limits. If temperatures rise by 2 to 6 degrees Celsius (3.6 to 10.8 degrees Fahrenheit) predicted by 2100, both lowland and highland sloths will face major survival challenges.

High-altitude sloths face additional difficulties because their geographic location makes migration nearly impossible. While lowland sloths might be able to shift to cooler, higher altitudes as their habitats warm, sloths in mountainous regions are confined to their already limited environments.

The research team acknowledges that more data is needed to fully understand sloths’ metabolic responses to Climate change, and the small sample size used in the study leaves some room for uncertainty. However, Cliffe and her colleagues stress the need for further investigation and the development of Conservation strategies to protect sloths from the looming threat of Global warming.