Endangered Sloth Populations: Numbers At A Glance

sunlight beaming through rainforest

While the iconic image of the sloth, slowly going about its day in the canopy, may be the only image conjured up when you hear about the sloth, there are actually many, diverse kinds of sloth. Each of these species have their own unique habitat, characteristics, and conservation status. In total, there are two different types of sloth, the two-toed and three-toed sloths, and then six different species of sloth. To give you an idea of the diversity and particular situations of each of these sloths, here are some of their numbers at a glance.


  • Pygmy three-toed sloth

  • Conservation Status: Critically Endangered 

    Current Population: Less than 100

    Population Trend: Decreasing

    Habitat: Only on the Isla Escudo de Veraguas


    This little guy is the smallest of the sloths, and wasn’t recognized as a distinct species until 2001. The Pygmy three-toed sloth lives most of its life in the mangrove trees of the Isla Escudo de Veraguas, which is a small island off the coast of Panama. Because its habitat is so small, any loss of this crucial habitat can be deeply detrimental. Overall, its main threats are tourism, hunting, and logging.


  • Maned three-toed sloth

  • Conservation Status: Vulnerable

    Current Population: Unknown

    Population Trend: Decreasing

    Habitat: Atlantic coast of Brazil


    The largest of the sloth species, the Maned three-toed sloth spends much of its life upside down -- its fur even grows in the opposite direction of that of most other mammals because of its life upside down. Because their habitat is restricted only to the Atlantic coast of Brazil, much of their conservation status comes from the loss of this habitat. The forest in this region of Brazil, where this sloth resides, has shrunk to 10% of its original size due to also being in the most highly populated region of Brazil. 


  • Pale-throated three-toed sloth

  • Conservation Status: Least Concern

    Current Population: Unknown

    Population Trend: Unknown, but presumed to be stable

    Habitat: Forests of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Eastern Venezuela, and Northern Brazil


    Much like other sloths, when spotted, the Pale-throated sloth can sometimes have a greenish tint to its fur: this is algae! This can sometimes provide camouflage from predators. The Pale-throated sloth also has one of the slowest rates of digestion, because leaves must first ferment in its gut before digestion. There are currently no known threats to this sloth, as it has one of the most pristine habitats.


  • Brown-throated three-toed sloth

  • Conservation Status: Least Concern

    Current Population: Unknown 

    Population Trend: Unknown

    Habitat: Forests of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, and Eastern Peru.


    Despite its title as a “Brown-throated sloth,” its fur can be tinted with green or blue due to algae. Much like the Pale-throated sloth, its population is generally stable and distributed across many countries. That being said, there are a few threats that the Brown-throated sloth is facing, such as habitat loss from agriculture, roads, and railroads, and then hunting and trapping.



  • Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth

  • Conservation Status: Least Concern

    Current Population: Unknown

    Population Trend: Unknown

    Habitat: Forests Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and possibly Bolivia


    Known for its longer fur, its propensity to remain motionless for long periods, and its two, webbed toes on its front paws, Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth is largely nocturnal and solitary. Partially due to its habitat, it is of least concern and has no known threats.s


  • Hoffman’s two-toed sloth

  • Conservation Status: Least Concern

    Current Population: Unknown

    Population Trend: Unknown

    Habitat: (1) Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador, (2) Eastern Peru, Western Brazil, and Northern Bolivia


    Hoffman’s two-toed sloth is one of the only sloth species to have two, discontinuous populations, with either one being separated by the Andes mountain range. Given that they are relatively spread out, their habitat has yet to be reduced to the levels seen with the Pygmy three-toed sloth or the Maned three-toed sloth.


    What can be done?


    While only two out of the six species of sloth are considered vulnerable or endangered, this does not mean that no action should be taken. In fact, the lessons learned from the habitat loss of the Pygmy three-toed sloth and the Maned three-toed sloth speak to the need to secure the already existing habitats of the sloths of least concern. It is no secret that deforestation has been on the rise in the Amazon Rainforest, actions must be taken swiftly to ensure that these species of sloths stay protected.


    Additionally, because of the lack of information regarding the populations of sloths, it can be difficult to properly protect these animals. When you ask “how many sloths are left in the world,” it can be difficult to get an exact number, making it even harder to determine what actions need to be taken.


    In order to act now to help save the Pygmy and Maned three-toed sloths, there are several organizations that could use your donations, such as The Sloth Conservation Foundation, and the Sloth Institute in Costa Rica. From rehabilitating injured sloths, to aiding habitat restoration and protection, and population studies, these organizations are making sure that all six species of sloth are protected.