peppers pride ( foaled march 24 , 2003 , in new mexico ) is a retired , undefeated , multiple stakes winning american thoroughbred race horse .

she is by desert god , by fappiano .

desert god 's dam , blush with pride , was also the dam of better than honour , a broodmare that sold for $ 14 million at fasig-tipton in early november 2008 .

peppers pride 's dam is the chili pepper pie mare lady pepper that placed in the 1990 bluebonnet stakes .

peppers pride was her last foal .

joe allen purchased desert god from the university of arizona .

peppers pride

peppers pride at richland hills farm near midway , ky . anne m . eberhardt
peppers pride wins new mexico state racing commission handicap . eugene o ' neill / coady photo
peppers pride cruises to win number 16 in the russell & helen foutz distaff handicap . coady photography
not much has changed about peppers pride from her racing days to her current career as a broodmare .
peppers pride won her 15th consecutive race march 23 , capturing the $ 100 , 000 sydney valentini handicap at sunland park . coady photography
indeed , the memories of peppers pride’s remarkable streak have not faded , for her fans and for those most closely associated with the mare .
peppers pride , on the verge of tying the record of 16 consecutive victories , is set to make her next start april 26 at sunray .
carlos madeira rode peppers pride in each of her 19 victories , which included wins in the new mexico classic cup juvenile fillies . peppers pride proved time and again that she was capable of meeting and defeating the best fillies and mares in new mexico , but no one will ever know how she would have done against those on other circuits . pepper’s pride was retired after her 19
joe allen’s peppers pride has entered a six - furlong allowance race at zia park on saturday afternoon in her attempt to set the record for consecutive wins .
attempting to explain the mare’s success , marr also noted that consistency in the barn’s routine and attention to detail may have helped peppers pride reach her full potential .
spectacular bid , secretariat , nijinsky ii , pepper ' s pride - oct . 4th
here is record breaking filly peppers pride at her home in kentucky , working as a brood mare after her amazing racetrack career of 19 wins from 19 starts . this is from may 2009 .
taylor made farm announced friday afternoon that the undefeated new mexico - bred mare peppers pride has been confirmed in foal to triple crown champion american pharoah . the announcement was made via the farm ' s
peppers pride , who won all 19 of her starts and earned $ 1 . 07 million , has produced three foals , including two by distorted humor , and is in foal to hard spun .
“she has a few of the mental characteristics that [ peppers pride ] had , ” marr said of funny pepper . “she’s not stubborn , but she’s very determined , i guess i would say . ”
although these days she lives a quiet life outside of the public eye – and her win streak was never afforded mass media attention outside of the racing industry – fans have not forgotten about peppers pride .
in each of the past two years , marr used an allowance race as a prep race for peppers pride before the new mexico cup program . that is the same strategy he is using this year .
peppers pride’s owner , joe allen , took the criticism in stride . he stated that he was well aware that peppers pride was not a horse that could be compared to cigar or citation , and said that he was simply glad to have her . there is a refreshing aspect to this that some horseracing fans miss . allen and trainer joel marr did an excellent job of managing the mare’s career , placing her in races where she had the best chance to win .
just as peppers pride’s mental attributes and personality made her an ideal racehorse , that disposition has endeared the mare to her caretakers at taylor made farm , where she is boarded for allen and michael stinson , who now co - owns her .
peppers pride was foaled in new mexico on march 24 , 2003 . her sire was desert god , a horse of moderate success on the racetrack . her dam , lady pepper , placed in the 1990 bluebonnet stakes , but her career was otherwise unspectacular . peppers pride is an example of how breeding does not always serve to precisely indicate how well a horse will perform on the racetrack . while the mare certainly had successful horses in her lineage , there was little on paper that would have inspired bloodstock agents to take note .
marr said peppers pride is back in foal to hard spun . as on the racetrack , the mare has settled comfortably into a routine at taylor made . during foaling season , expecting mares spend the night in the barn and are turned out during the day . once a foal is at a mare’s side , however , the routine becomes the opposite . now , peppers pride and her 4 - month - old colt come to the barn in the morning to be looked over and attended to before being turned out in a group for the rest of the afternoon and night .
all of peppers pride’s races came in her native new mexico , where she dominated her division for four seasons . she captured the new mexico cup juvenile fillies stakes as a 2 - year - old , the new mexico cup championship fillies stakes during her sophomore season , and won back - to - back editions of the event’s fillies and mares stakes in 2007 and 2008 . her list of stakes triumphs included two editions each of the new mexico state racing commission handicap and the sydney valentini handicap . peppers pride carried weights as high as 127 pounds , an impost she won under three times .
peppers pride is an example of brilliant management by the team of owner and trainer . they only raced in events they thought they could win , and as a result the mare broke the record for consecutive wins in north america . camarero , a horse that raced in puerto rico , won an amazing 56 in a row !
peppers pride ( usa ) dkb / br . m , 2003 { 2 - h } dp = 7 - 7 - 8 - 0 - 0 ( 22 ) di = 4 . 50 cd = 0 . 95 - 19 starts , 19 wins , 0 places , 0 shows career earnings : $ 1 , 066 , 085
the joel marr - trained peppers pride has won each of her 16 career wins and shares the record for consecutive wins with triple crown winner citation , two - time horse of the year cigar , santa anita derby winner mister frisky and the louisiana - bred sprinter hallowed dreams . “she’s doing well , ” said marr . “she hasn’t raced since april , but has had two works . ” the daughter of desert god won the foutz distaff handicap at sunray park on april 26 . she has remained in training since that win in marr’s stable . peppers pride was scheduled to make her record attempt on two occasions this summer at ruidoso downs . she was slated to run in the lincoln handicap on july 27 but that racing card was cancelled after the remnants of hurricane dolly damaged ruidoso downs . the lincoln handicap was rescheduled for august 31 , peppers pride was entered and then marr elected to scratch her due to an off track . she has only raced on fast racing surfaces . this means that marr has twice prepared to race and then the 5 - year - old mare has not competed , not the optimal training regimen for a racehorse . “it probably has had an effect and we’ll find out saturday , ” marr said . “but , she has been training well . ” peppers pride has raced at zia park each of the last three years and is five - for - five over the hobbs oval . as a 2 - year - old in 2005 , peppers pride impressed when she made a four - wide rally on the turn to win the new mexico classic cup juvenile fillies , the premier race for two - year - old females during new mexico cup day .
began their careers training quarterhorses in the state . the thoroughbred competition in new mexico , however , is typically considered to be among the weakest in the united states . this would become a source of controversy after peppers pride set the record for consecutive wins . many pointed out that cigar and others with long win streaks had accomplished their wins against much tougher competition .
peppers pride did everything right during her racing career , too . from july 16 , 2005 , to dec . 14 , 2008 , the mare answered the call to the post 19 times and emerged victorious on each occasion , the longest undefeated career by a modern north american thoroughbred . the streak included 14 stakes wins , and she earned $ 1 , 066 , 085 .
peppers pride produced her third foal , a colt by malibu moon , on feb . 22 . her first two foals are by distorted humor – a filly foaled in 2011 and a yearling colt . the filly , named funny pepper , is at a training center in new mexico , preparing to join marr’s string to see if she can follow in her mother’s large hoofprints .
now boarded at kentucky ' s taylor made farm , peppers pride has settled into her life as a broodmare . “she ' s doing great ; she ' s having nice foals , ” taylor made vice president frank taylor told the daily racing form in 2013 . “she ' s just really easy to get along with and never causes any problems . she fits right in . ”
lesson that should be learned from the career of peppers pride is the factor owners and trainers play in a horse’s career . many times when a horse performs poorly it is because they have been entered in races that are too difficult . horse betting requires a handicapper to look at a horse’s past performances to determine whether or not they belong in the race they are in today .
“i think peppers pride is putting plenty of bone on [ her foals ] , and they’re athletic - looking , ” taylor said . “i really love the distorted humor yearling she’s got this year . he’s just a really big , strong , good - looking horse . he’s got a lot of class to him , i think . i think people will really like him a lot . ”
this entry was posted in bloodstock and tagged american pharoah , frank taylor , joel marr , new mexico , pepper ' s pride , taylor made farm by paulick report staff . bookmark the permalink .
in 2006 , peppers pride was nearly defeated when she won her prep allowance race by a nose with a late run . she then won the new mexico cup championship for fillies by a length as the 11 - 10 favorite . last year , when the winning streak was gaining national attention , she won her 12th straight race with a seven - length allowance win at six furlongs and then captured the new mexico cup championship for fillies and mares with a late rally to win by one - and - a - half lengths . peppers pride will point to the new mexico cup championship for fillies and mares after saturday’s allowance race , providing she comes out of the allowance race in good order . new mexico cup day is november 9 and the $ 2 million in purses makes that program the richest day for any state - bred racing program .
any thoroughbred trainer will tell you that winning just one race is hard . there are so many things that can go wrong in the running of a race . to win , a horse must be talented but also possess racing luck . peppers pride , a filly that raced solely on the new mexico racing circuit , had both , and she broke the legendary cigar’s record for consecutive wins when she captured her 19 th straight victory on december 14 , 2008 .
“she was a tremendous athlete , not only physically , but mentally , ” said joel marr , who trained peppers pride for owner and breeder joe allen . “you don’t do that by just getting lucky 19 times in a row , obviously , or it would be done all the time . she had that sense that most horses probably don’t have – she knew how to win . she had that ability and that sense and that determination . she knew exactly what she was doing .
owned by michael stinson and her breeder joe allen , the 13 - year old mare holds a record of 19 wins from 19 starts , including 14 stakes wins . the daughter of desert god earned over $ 1 million in her three - year career for trainer joel marr , and retried with her perfect record intact at the end of 2008 . peppers pride held the north american record for the longest undefeated streak in history , alongside champion zenyatta , until rapid redux took over that title in 2012 with 22 wins .
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2 - year - old gelding broke his maiden july 8 at gulfstream park .
blame filly has now won a pair of graded stakes for new trainer bob baffert .
new to the paulick report ? click here to sign up for our daily email newsletter to keep up on this and other stories happening in the thoroughbred industry . copyright © 2018 paulick report .
publisher ray paulick ( 859 312 . 2102 ) director of advertising emily alberti ( 859 913 . 9633 ) editor - in - chief scott jagow features editor natalie voss bloodstock editor joe nevills racing news editor chelsea hackbarth contributing writers sarah e . coleman frank mitchell tom pedulla jen roytz denise steffanus photography equisport photos ( matt and wendy wooley ) eric kalet business manager carol paulick
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as a sports fan , i love winning streaks , and i es . . .
as the end of the 2011 year draws near i decided t . . .
winx ' s staying power as one of the world ' s top rac . . .
jason servis is on the best run of his career , wi . . .
t . j . comerford , assistant trainer for aidan o ' brie . . .
“she’s really a classy mare to be around , ” said frank taylor , vice president of boarding operations at his family’s taylor made farm , the nicholasville , ky . , facility where the 10 - year - old daughter of desert god resides . “she just does everything right . ”
“we trained her to be fit and to do the best job she could , but she ultimately won the races , ” marr added . “it was just something that she had . i can’t explain it . just the ability she had within her and . . . it was just something that she possessed way before we touched her . ”
“she was just one in a million , ” marr said . “and a lot of it was mental . obviously , she was physically a superb athlete and had tremendous abilities . and people will say , ‘well , you ran her in new mexico . ’ well , we did , and [ a new mexico - bred is ] what she was . but it really doesn’t matter . ”
“all the people around her – i was her only trainer , ” marr said . “ [ carlos madeira ] was her only rider . she had the same farrier , the same vet , the same groom . she stayed in the same barn at every racetrack , the same stall . she went to post with the same pony every time . just a lot of things like that . horses are creatures of habit . they need to be fed at the same time ; they need to be exercised at the same time . they need a routine , and she had that for the four , almost five years that we had her . she went to the track at the same time every morning , with the same person on her back .
“joe allen was the breeder and the owner and the partial stallion owner . it was really special . it wasn’t something we went out and bought . she was raised there . it made it a lot more special just to be around her . ”
“she’s doing great ; she’s having nice foals , ” taylor said . “she’s just really easy to get along with and never causes any problems . she fits right in . ”
the yearling colt is expected to be offered at this year’s keeneland september sale , where he could be among the featured horses in the catalog .
“we get some regular calls from people wanting to come visit and come see her , ” taylor said . “we probably get [ a few ] a month , fans wanting to know how she’s doing or wanting to come see her . ”
“i wouldn’t trade it for anything , ” marr said . “it was tremendous to be a part of it . and you look back and you can say that you were part of something like her [ winning streak ] . not very many people get to say that . you knew there was something special about her , just the way she held herself , the way she looked , the look in her eye . i was just lucky to be a part of it . ”
won new mexico cup juv . fillies s . ( zia , 6 . 5f ) , rio grande senorita futurity ( rui , 6 . 5f )
won new mexico cup championship fillies s . ( zia , 6 . 5f ) , la senora h . ( sun , 6f ) , la coneja h . ( sun , 5 . 5f )
at 4 : won sydney valentini h . ( sun , 8f ) , new mexico cup f & m ; championship , new mexico racing commission h . ( zia , 6f )
won sydney valentini h . ( sun , 8f ) , russell & hellen foutz distaff h . ( srp , 6 . 5f ) , new mexico cup fillies & mares s . ( zia , 8f ) , new mexico racing commission h . ( zia , 6f )
april 26 , 2008 : equaled north american record for 16 consecutive wins , a record shared by cigar , citation , hallowed dreams , and mister frisky .
broke the consecutive win record on october 4 , 2008 , in a six furlong allowance race at zia park .
joel marr was retained by the mare’s owners to train her for racing in her home state of new mexico . with several notable tracks , new mexico is perhaps more known for quarterhorse racing . many famous trainers such as
why would a trainer enter a horse in a race they cannot win ? there are several reasons . first , the trainer may be pressured by the owner to enter a specific race . this does not happen as much at the highest levels with trainers like steve asmussen or todd pletcher . those trainers are likely to refuse an owner’s request . at the smaller tracks , however , this happens all the time . the trainer must often give in to the owner’s request or lose the horse to another trainer that will .
sometimes , a horse is entered in a race to prepare or “prep” for another , more important race . in this case , winning may not be the goal . the trainer may simply want the horse to have a good showing and increase its fitness level . finally , a horse may simply have no other place to compete and need to race .
are used to the activity of a race , and many of them need regular racing in order to keep sharp . unfortunately , especially on the smaller circuits , there may not always be a suitable race for a horse’s class level . in that case , the horse is often entered in a race that is beyond their skill level just to give them an opportunity to run .
? you can take advantage of great bonuses and get access to a full menu of betting options at the most popular tracks .
bloodstock agent tom mcgreevy , who likes to work exclusively for one client , has signed on to buy yearlings and 2 - year - old at sales for texas owner mike stinson .
the auction offers horseshoes worn by afleet alex and first samurai , a vip three chimneys tour , and autographed race photos . all proceeds help with the mission of racehorse retirement and rescue .
as california chrome prepares for a shot at redemption in this year ' s dubai world cup ( uae - i ) , interest in the horse as a stallion prospect continues to grow , much to the satisfaction of taylor made farm .
new mexico - based trainer joel marr tallied his 1 , 000th career thoroughbred victory by winning the 11th race nov . 11 at zia park in hobbs , n . m . , with sweet diamond .
the keeneland september sale ' s second book 1 session sept . 10 proved as bullish as the previous day ' s opener as far as $ 1 million horses were concerned , with four seven - figure horses exiting the ring again .
undefeated mare to stay in new mexico for mark - tying 16th straight victory attempt .
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sky sports news takes you through all of the day ' s racing news , plus alex hammond ' s tip of the day .
follow the latest from the written press with the best gossip and speculation from the papers .
sky has launched a pub finder for eager fans wanting to find a venue to watch sky sports .
get a sports star to visit your old secondary school as part of our free schools initiative .


the pygmy three-toed sloth ( bradypus pygmaeus ) , also known as the monk sloth or dwarf sloth , is a sloth endemic to isla escudo de veraguas , a small island off the coast of panama .

the species was first described by robert p. anderson of the university of kansas and charles o. handley jr. , of the smithsonian institution in 2001 .

the pygmy three-toed sloth is significantly smaller than the other three members of its genus , but otherwise resembles the brown-throated three-toed sloth .

according to anderson and handley jr. , the head-and-body length is between 48 and 53 centimetres ( 19 and 21 in ) , and the body mass ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 kg ( 5.5 to 7.7 lb ) .

this sloth , like other sloths , is arboreal ( tree-living ) and feeds on leaves .

it is symbiotically associated with green algae , that can provide it with a camouflage .

details of mating behavior and reproduction have not been documented .

the pygmy three-toed sloth is found exclusively in the red mangroves of isla escudos de veraguas , restricted to an area of 4.3 square kilometres ( 1.7 sq mi ) .

a 2012 census of pygmy three-toed sloths estimated the total population at 79 .

the iucn lists the pygmy three-toed sloth as critically endangered and they are listed on the world 's 100 most threatened species .

pygmy three - toed sloth

the pygmy three - toed sloth was recognised as a distinct species in 2001 .
pygmy three - toed sloths on the edge of existence ( edgeofexistence . org )
a 2011 study found only 79 pygmy three - toed sloths on escudo de veraguas .
the pygmy three - toed sloth is classified as critically endangered ( cr ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
of those , the pygmy sloth is critically endangered and the maned sloth is vulnerable .
brown - throated three - toed sloth dallas world aquarium and zoo , dallas , tx .
pygmy three - toed sloths have been found living only in coastal , red mangroves at sea level .
pygmy three - toed sloths have home ranges that are small , on average 1 . 6 ha .
the pygmy three - toed sloth is found in a tiny area of red mangrove forests on isla escudo de veraguas , panama .
pygmy three - toed sloths are 15 % smaller in total length , and 40 % smaller in their mass .
the pygmy three - toed sloth has rapidly evolved a much smaller body size in its short 8 , 900 years of isolation from mainland species .
the pygmy three - toed sloth is known exclusively in red mangrove forests surrounding the island at near sea level ( 1 ) ( 3 ) .
female pygmy three - toed sloths invest heavily in young through gestation and lactation , as do females in other sloth species . details of parental care are not reported for pygmy three - toed sloths , but related species care for their young for up to 6 months .
main characteristics pygmy three - toed sloths have a body length between 44 and 47 cms ( 17 - 18 . 5 inches ) , a tail length between 4 and 6 cms ( 1 . 5 - 2 . 4 inches ) and they weigh between 2 . 5 and 3 . 5 kgs ( 5 . 5 - 7 . 7 lbs ) . they have long , coarse fur that is pale grey / brown in colour and they have a tan coloured face with a dark band across their forehead . they have three long , hook - clawed toes on each of their front feet . habitat pygmy three - toed sloths are found in the mangrove forests of the island of isla escudo de verguas off the coast of panama . they are arboreal and solitary . diet pygmy three - toed sloths feed on variety of leaves , buds and soft twigs . breeding little is known about reproduction in the pygmy three - toed sloth . it is assumed that it is similar to that of the other species of three - toed sloth . predators humans and habitat loss are the main threats to the pygmy three - toed sloth . subspecies there are no subspecies of the pygmy three - toed sloth . interesting facts pygmy three - toed sloths are also known as : monk sloth dwarf sloth similar animals linnaeus ' s two - toed sloth hoffmann ' s two - toed sloth maned three - toed sloth pale - throated sloth brown - throated sloth
the pygmy three - toed sloth is known only from isla escudo de veraguas in the archipelago of bocas del toro , panama ( 1 ) ( 3 ) .
pygmy three - toed sloths are arboreal folivores . they eat leaves from many different kinds of trees and have low metabolic rates .
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the behavior of pygmy three - toed sloths has not been reported , but can be inferred from the behavior of its close relative , the brown - throated sloth .
three - toed sloths may have quite small or absent canine - like upper teeth .
three - toed sloths ( bradypus ) do not survive out of their natural habitat .
the following habitats are found across the pygmy three - toed sloth distribution range . find out more about these environments , what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them .
sloth distribution . black box represents approximate range of hoffmann ' s two - toed sloth ; red box represents linnaeus ' two - toed sloth . adapted from urltoken according to iucn fact sheets for hoffman ' s two - toed and linnaeus ' two - toed sloths . see iucn fact sheets for detailed distributions .
do you know of or are you a part of an organisation that work to conserve the pygmy three - toed sloth , then please contact us to have it featured on our endangered world .
sloths are identified by the number of long , prominent claws that they have on each front foot . there are both two - toed and three - toed sloths .
. like other sloths , pygmy three - toed sloths are likely to have relatively poor eyesight . they may use vocalizations and are likely to use chemical cues in communication .
two - toed sloths are generally faster moving than three - toed sloths . both types tend to occupy the same forests : in most areas , one species of three - toed sloth and one species of the larger two - toed type will jointly predominate . they are arboreal and sleep , eat , and travel among the trees , moving very slowly and generally hanging upside down .
the pygmy three - toed sloth was only described scientifically in 2001 and is critically endangered . a team of conservationists from zsl are surveying them to build the first picture of how these little - known animals are faring .
citation : kaviar s , shockey j , sundberg p ( 2012 ) observations on the endemic pygmy three - toed sloth , bradypus pygmaeus of isla escudo de veraguas , panamá . plos one 7 ( 11 ) : e49854 . urltoken
bezerra , b . 2008 . observation of brown - throated three toed sloths , mating behavior and simultaneous nurturing of two young .
the pygmy sloth is listed on cites appendix ii ( notification to the parties 2013 / 052 , 20 november 2013 ) .
historically there has been little conservation attention or support for the pygmy sloth and the island habitat it depends on . this project seeks to address the threats facing the pygmy sloth , while helping to ensure the sustainable livelihoods of the ngobe bugle people .
anderson , r . , c . handley . 2001 . a new species of three - toed sloth ( mammalia : xenarthra ) from panama , with a review of the genus bradypus .
the living sloths are placed in one of two families , known as the megalonychidae (
two - toed
sloths ) and the bradypodidae ( three - toed sloths ) , with the former limited to the genus choloepus and the later to the genus bradypus . all living sloths have in fact three toes , that is three toes on the hindfeet . however , the
two - toed
sloths have only two fingers , versus three for the three - toed sloths . the living sloths are characterized by short , flat heads , big eyes , a short snout , long legs , and tiny ears .
, commonly called monk , dwarf , or pygmy three - toed sloth , is found only on the isla escudo de veraguas of bocas del toro , which is located off the coast of panama . this island is small , only about 5 square kilometers in area .
a three - toed sloth can rotate its head nearly 90 degrees or more , and its mouth is shaped in a way that makes the animal appear as if it ' s always smiling .
nice ' n ' slow : a three - toed sloth climbs a liana to the forest canopy . lianas provide critical connections among trees to allow arboreal animals to move from tree to tree .
isla escudo de veraguas is protected as a wildlife refuge and is contained within the comarca indigenous reserve . however , law enforcement within this protected area is currently inadequate , and needs to be improved , in order to benefit the pygmy three - toed sloth ( 1 ) .
the pygmy three - toed slothis on the iucn species survival commission ' s top 100 list of most threatened species . these tiny sloths can only be found on escudo island , which is found off the coast of panama .
sloths mate and give birth while hanging in the trees . three - toed sloth babies are often seen clinging to their mothers—they travel by hanging on to them for the first nine months of their lives .
the three - toed sloth emits a long , high - pitched call that echoes through the forests as “ahh - eeee . ” because of this cry these sloths are sometimes called ais ( pronounced “eyes” ) .
predators of pygmy three - toed sloths have not been reported . however , like other sloths , they are very slow - moving animals with long , hair that often grows algae , allowing them to blend in well in their leafy habitats . other sloth species are preyed on by harpy eagles (
because pygmy three - toed sloths are a recently described species , little is known about their ecosystem roles . they are hosts to various parasites , may influence vegetation through their browsing , and act as prey for larger , arboreal predators .
our long term aim is to establish and implement a participatory management plan that engages all stakeholders in the conservation of escudo and the pygmy sloth .
shockey , who has now graduated , considers himself lucky to have seen and studied the rare pygmy three - toed sloths .
during my time on escudo , i witnessed their daily routine of long afternoon naps , casual eating and climbing into the sunny branches to dry off after a downpour . ultimately , i hope our work will help maintain that reality for the pygmy sloth .
two - toed and three - toed sloths were formerly placed in the same family but the two genera have profound behavioral and anatomical differences and are believed to come from two different fossil lineages . they are now placed in separate families .
three - toed sloths also have an advantage that few other mammals possess : they have extra neck vertebrae that allows them to turn their heads some 270 degrees .
there are two categories of sloths . the two - toed sloth is slightly bigger than the three - toed sloth , though they share many of the same features . they are about the size of a medium - sized dog at around 23 to 27 inches ( 58 to 68 cm ) and 17 . 5 to 18 . 75 pounds ( about 8 kilograms ) .
we found evidence for three different patterns of algae that occur in the hair of five sloth species : 1 ) the green alga in the fur of the brown - throated sloth , bradypus variegatus , and the pygmy three - toed sloth , b . pygmaeus , is a unique species and no other green algal species were found in their fur . microscopy of the alga on the hair revealed characteristic features to the description of trichophilus ( weber - van bosse 1887 ) , which has indeed been described from the hair of bradypus . 2 ) the maned three - toed sloth bradypus torquatus was shown in our study to host a variety of algae belonging to genera known to be terrestrial , e . g . trentepholia and myrmecia . 3 ) the hoffmann ' s two - toed sloth choloepus hoffmanni and the pale - throated sloth bradypus tridactylus , showed both patterns ; they hosted terrestrial green algae from their surroundings , as well as the unique genus trichophilus .
location : separated from the panamanian coast by 17 kilometres of ocean , the island of escudo de veraguas is the only home of the pygmy three - toed sloth . the sloths live only in red mangroves found in a narrow band along the seaside , which are estimated to cover just 1 . 5 square kilometres .
the sloth’s fur is grey , though the face is tan with chocolate stripes , and the male has an orange patch on the back divided lengthwise by a black stripe . there is long hair on this sloth’s head , hanging down and giving the appearance of a hood , inspiring the alternative name of “monk sloth” . a unique species of symbiotic algae grows in the fur of the pygmy three - toed sloth , giving their fur a greenish tint that acts as excellent camouflage when combined with their slow movements .
montgomery gg , sunquist me : habitat selection and use by two - toed and three - toed sloths . the ecology of arboreal folivores . edited by : montgomery g . 1978 , washington , dc : smithsonian institution press , 329 - 359 .
] . it is a popular assumption that the association between the three - toed sloth and the alga embedded in its hairs is a symbiotic relationship with the alga obtaining shelter in the cracks of the hair while providing green camouflage for the sloth . it also has been proposed that the alga offers no benefit to the sloth , but is able to survive in the hair because the sloth does not prevent the alga growing [
with only a small population confined to a single tiny island off the coast of panama , the pygmy three - toed sloth is the most endangered of all xenarthra . as its name suggests , this recently discovered species is a dwarf compared with its mainland relatives ( 4 ) . in addition to its small size , the pygmy three - toed sloth is characterised by usually blotchy , pale grey - brown fur and a tan - coloured face with a distinctive dark band across the forehead , from which long , shaggy hair hangs over the face , giving a hooded appearance . sloths have an unusual means of camouflage to avoid predation ; their outer fur is often coated in algae , giving the pelage a greenish tint that helps hide them in their forest habitat . three - toed sloths ( bradypus ) can be distinguished from their distant relatives , the two - toed sloths ( choloepus ) , by the three digits on their forelimbs , blunter muzzle , and simpler , peg - like teeth ( 3 ) .
green , h . ( 1989 ) .
agonistic behavior by three - toed sloths , bradypus variegatus
. biotropica 21 ( 4 ) : 369–372 . jstor 2388289 .
— 1985a . use of hands and feet of three - toed sloths ( bradypus variegatus ) during climbing and terrestrial locomotion . journal of mammalogy 66 : 359 - 366 .
with only a small population confined to a single tiny island off the coast of panama , the pygmy three - toed sloth ( bradypus pygmaeus ) is the most endangered of all xenarthra . as its name suggests , this recently discovered species is a dwarf compared with its mainland relatives ( 4 ) . in addition to its small size , the pygmy three - toed sloth is characterised by usually blotchy , pale grey - brown fur and a tan - coloured face with a distinctive dark band across the forehead , from which long , shaggy hair hangs over the face , giving a hooded appearance . sloths have an unusual means of camouflage to avoid predation ; their outer fur is often coated in algae , giving the pelage a greenish tint that helps hide them in their forest habitat . three - toed sloths ( bradypus ) can be distinguished from their distant relatives , the two - toed sloths ( choloepus ) , by the three digits on their forelimbs , blunter muzzle , and simpler , peg - like teeth ( 3 ) .
very little is known about the biology of the pygmy three - toed sloth , although much can be inferred from what is known about three - toed sloths generally . three - toed sloths are arboreal folivores that eat the leaves of a variety of trees . this is an energy - poor diet , and these animals have a very low metabolic rate ( 3 ) . their main defences are camouflage , stealth and stillness , whereby they avoid predation largely by avoiding detection ( 3 ) ( 5 ) . however , should they be attacked , sloths also have a remarkable capacity to survive due to their tough hides , tenacious grips and extraordinary ability to heal from grievous wounds ( 5 ) .
very little is known about the biology of the pygmy three - toed sloth , although much can be inferred from what is known about three - toed sloths generally . three - toed sloths are arboreal folivores that eat the leaves of a variety of trees . this is an energy - poor diet , and these animals have a very low metabolic rate ( 3 ) . their main defences are camouflage , stealth and stillness , whereby they avoid predation largely by avoiding detection ( 3 ) ( 5 ) . however , should they be attacked , sloths also have a remarkable capacity to survive due to their tough hides , tenacious grips and extraordinary ability to heal from grievous wounds ( 5 ) .
the evolutionary history of the three - toed sloths is not at all well - known . no particularly close relatives , ground - dwelling or not , have yet been identified .
almost all mammals have seven cervical vertebrae or
neck bones
( including those with very short necks , such as elephants or whales , and those with very long necks , such as giraffes ) . the two - toed sloths and the three - toed sloths are among the few exceptions . the two - tailed sloths and manatees have only six cervical vertebrae , and three - toed sloths had nine cervical vertebrae ( narita and kuratani 2005 ) .
pygmy three - toed sloths have a tan face with a dark brown band across the brow and orange eye patches . the back can exhibit either uniform or blotchy color distribution , but is usually dark brown with an obvious dorsal stripe . pygmy sloths are unique in that they have long hairs on the crown and the sides of the head , giving the distinct impression of a hood .
the pygmy three - toed sloth has an extremely restricted range on one very small island . although the island is uninhabited , fishermen , farmers , lobster divers and local people are all seasonal visitors , and are thought to hunt the sloths illegally . the growing tourism industry is also a potential threat to the species , by degrading its habitat ( 1 ) .
the pygmy three - toed sloth has an extremely restricted range on one very small island . although the island is uninhabited , fishermen , farmers , lobster divers and local people are all seasonal visitors , and are thought to hunt the sloths illegally . the growing tourism industry is also a potential threat to the species , by degrading its habitat ( 1 ) .
wujek de , cocuzza jm : morphology of hair of two - and three - toed sloths ( edentata : bradypodidae ) . rev biol trop . 1986 , 34 : 243 - 246 .
pygmy three - toed sloths are mainly arboreal , although they can walk on the ground and also swim . like other sloths , they can be active at any time of the day and spend much of their time sleeping or sedentary . they are generally solitary and do not tend to travel far .
limited to central and south america . the 2 species are partially sympatric ( overlap ) in the andean regions and western amazonia . both overlap with the 3 - toed sloth .
two - toed sloths live 10 to 15 years in the wild and over 30 years in zoos .
bezerra , b . 2008 . observation of brown - throated three toed sloths , mating behavior and simultaneous nurturing of two young . journal of ethology , 26 / 1 :
175 - 178
.
after around nine hours of sleep , the sloth still doesn ' t make an attempt at getting friendly with others . they live solo lives . the closest a sloth gets to social time is sleeping in the same tree with another sloth .
in may 2011 , after months of preparation , jakob shockey and two fellow biology students from evergreen state college in washington state found themselves on a tiny panamanian island staring at one of the rarest mammals in the world : the pygmy three - toed sloth ( bradypus pygmaeus ) .
i felt humbled to finally stand knee - deep in the mud of a mangrove thicket on isla escudo de veraguas and watch this sloth move so comfortably through its world , entirely unconcerned by my presence or anticipation ,
he says .
the species is not utilized . although it was previously thought that locals would eat pygmy sloths , this was recently disproven .
the living sloths are omnivores . they may eat insects , small lizards , and carrion , but their diet consists mostly of buds , tender shoots , and leaves . the three - toed sloths in particular feed almost exclusively on leaves . the two - toed sloths eat fruits , nuts , berries , bark , and occasionally small rodents .
the u . s . fish and wildlife service ( fws ) last week announced that the world ' s rarest and smallest sloth could deserve protection under the endangered species act ( pdf ) . the pygmy three - toed sloth ( bradypus pygmaeus ) lives only on the tiny isla escudo de veraguas off the coast of panama and is probably one of the rarest mammals in the world . when i last wrote about the species back in 2012 , surveys had only managed to locate 79 of these critically endangered tree - dwellers .
anderson , r . p . and handley jr . , c . o . ( 2001 ) a new species of three - toed sloth ( mammalia : xenarthra ) from panama , with a review of the genus bradypus . proceedings of the biological society of washington , 114 ( 1 ) : 1 - 33 .
anderson , r . , c . handley . 2001 . a new species of three - toed sloth ( mammalia : xenarthra ) from panama , with a review of the genus bradypus . proceedings of the biological society of washington , 114 :
1 - 33
. accessed july 27 , 2009 at urltoken .
in response to this incident , a nonprofit called the animal welfare institute filed an emergency petition with the fws this past november seeking to add the pygmy sloth to the endangered species list . this protection , if granted , would require any person or organization seeking to import a pygmy sloth into the u . s . to first receive a permit from the fws , the same process that is required for any other foreign endangered species .
a newly discovered , rare species of sloth looks like a teddy bear and can swim .
habitat : pygmy three - toed sloths spend most of their lives in trees , though they must descend to the ground to urinate and defecate . they can only crawl while on the ground , though they are good swimmers . in the trees , they hook themselves securely to branches with the three large claws on each of their feet . they often hang upside down from branches while in the trees . their sole food is the leaves of the red mangrove trees where they live .
the two - toed sloths are somewhat larger and generally faster moving than the three - toed sloths , but all are noted for their very slow , graceful movements . they also are noted for their almost exclusively arboreal existence , descending to the ground only rarely to urinate and defecate and generally hanging upside - down from branches with their long , curved claws .
mammalian species include the collared - peccary , who may be found in mainland bocas del toro lowland moist forest or grasslands . also found here is the critically endangered pygmy three - toed sloth , bradypus pygmaeus , whose extant population of no more than a few hundred animals is restricted to the tiny ( 3 . 4 km 2 ) island of isla escudo de veraguas . there are also central american red brocket , mazama temama , a species of forest deer widespead in mesoamerica .
compared to the related brown - throated three - toed sloth , the pygmy species is , on average 40 % smaller in body mass , weighing 2 . 5 to 3 . 5 kilograms ( 5 . 5 to 7 . 7 lb ) , and 15 % smaller in body length . adults measure 48 to 53 centimetres ( 19 to 21 in ) , with a 4 . 5 to 6 . 0 centimetres ( 1 . 8 to 2 . 4 in ) tail .
when frightened , young sloth ' s hair
puffs out
, almost doubling its size .
a rare pygmy sloth that looks like a teddy bear and can swim , an insect as long as your arm and a fish from the deep with a face like a headlight . just some of the extraordinary and weird new species chosen by
pygmy three - toed sloths are an excellent example of insular dwarfism , which occurs when a population is confined to an island and must adapt to the limited resources of space and food . these sloths look compact and are approximately 40 % smaller than the mainland sloths they are descended from . weight is just 2 . 5 to 3 . 5 kilograms , while length ranges from 48 to 53 centimetres .
a typical case of island dwarfism , the pygmy sloths are about 40 percent smaller than brown - throated sloths ( b . variegatus ) , which can be found across the water on the panama isthmus as well as throughout the southern half of central america and the northern half of south america . other than size , pygmy sloths look almost exactly like their mainland cousins—so much so , in fact , that the pygmies were only identified as a separate species in 2001 . at that time scientists estimated the pygmy sloth population at about 300 to 500 animals , enough to consider them critically endangered , the only sloth species with that designation .
additional file 1 : sloth sample collection details . collection details of the sloth samples which sequence data was used in the study and the number of clones sequenced from each sample . ( pdf 30 kb )
sloth is the common name for any of the slow - moving , new world arboreal mammals comprising the families megalonychidae ( two - toed sloths ) and bradypodidae ( three - toed sloths ) of the order pilosa . there are six extant species . the four living species of bradypodidae are about the size of a small dog and are characterized by three - clawed digits on their forelimbs and a short tail . the two living species of megalonychidae are characterized by only two digits on their forefeet , the absence of a tail , and a more prominent snout , and longer fur . sloths are found in central and south america .
the pygmy three - toed sloth , bradypus pygmaeus , was first described as a species in 2001 [ 1 ] . bradypus pygmaeus is morphologically distinct from bradypus variegatus , most obviously in their reduced body size , although genetic differentiation has not been shown [ 2 ] . bradypus pygmaeus are found only on the 4 . 3 km 2 island of isla escudo de veraguas ( = isla escudo ) , 17 . 6 km off the caribbean coast of panama [ 1 ] . to date , researchers have only observed pygmy sloths in the red mangroves ( rhizophora mangle ) of isla escudo’s tidal areas , leading to the working hypothesis of obligate red mangrove dietary specialization within the species [ 1 ] .
threats : since they are confined to one island surrounded by oceanic waters , every hectare of habitat is vitally important to pygmy three - toed sloths . unfortunately , vigorous cutting of mangrove trees is occurring on escudo de veraguas . if unchecked , this could lead to the outright extinction of these intriguing , dwarf mammals . surreptitious hunting by fishermen operating near the island may also be occurring , since the sloths are an easy source of meat .
sloth fur exhibits specialized functions . the outer hairs grow in a direction opposite from that of other mammals . in most mammals , hairs grow toward the extremities , but because sloths spend so much time with their legs above their bodies , their hairs grow away from the extremities in order to provide protection from the elements while the sloth hangs upside down . sloth fur is also host to algae ; this algae colors the coat green and acts as camouflage ( butler 2007 ; kissell 2008 ) . because of this algae , sloth fur is a small ecosystem of its own , hosting many species of non - parasitic insects ; one sloth was found to host about 950 beetles ( butler 2007 ) . one species of moth is dependent on the sloth for its life cycle , traveling with the sloth to the ground when the sloth defecates and laying its eggs at that time ( butler 2007 ) .
, a new species of bluegreen alga from sloth hair . brenesia . 1988 , 29 : 1 - 6 .
the sloth ' s scientific name is bradypus tridactylus . here is its taxonomy according to the national history museum :
three - toed sloths are about the size of a small dog , with the head and body having a combined length of around 60 centimeters , and the animal having a weight of 3 . 5 to 4 . 5 kilograms ( or between 7 and 10 pounds ) . unlike the two - toed sloths , they also have a short ( 6 - 7 centimeters ) tail , and they have three clawed toes on all four of their limbs . the generally larger two - toed sloths have a body length of between 58 and 70 centimeters , and weigh between 4 and 8 kilograms . other distinguishing features of the two - tailed sloths include a more prominent snout , longer fur , and the absence of a tail .
) . the first two pco axes explained 40 . 6 % of the variability . however , the canonical analysis of the three species of sloths that had been sampled from several locations showed a separation of the different sloth species with squared canonical correlations of δ
the members of the two families of living sloths , megalonychidae and bradypodidae , have similar adaptations , but the actual relationships of the living sloth genera are more distant from each other than their outward similarity suggests . the two - toed sloths of today are far more closely related to one particular group of ground sloths than to the living three - toed sloths . whether these ground - dwelling megalonychidae were descended from tree - climbing ancestors or whether the two - toed sloths are really miniature ground sloths converted ( or reverted ) to arboreal life cannot presently be determined to satisfaction . the latter possibility seems slightly more likely , given the fact that the small ground sloths acratocnus and synocnus , which were also able to climb , are among the closer relatives of the two - toed sloths , and that these together were related to the huge ground sloths megalonyx and megalocnus .
like many other mammals , sloths only have one baby at a time . baby sloths have a gestation of five to six months for some types sloths and as much as 11 . 5 months for others , such as the hoffman ' s two - toed sloth .
) . similarly , ciliates were different on the three compared species . this can be due to differing hair structure and possibly chemistry as well as differing ecology of the species . it may also reflect the divergence of the two sloth genera about 20 million years ago [
2 - toed is larger , faster , and nocturnal . diet is more varied - eats leaves and fruit . 6 or 7 neck vertebrae and vestigial tail
shockey had originally planned to travel to panama to study the local manatee population , but contacts with a local nongovernmental organization told him they were hearing reports of
imminent risk
to the pygmy sloths .
little was known by the scientific community about the actual conditions on the island , and it was hard to separate fact and rumor , but the pygmy sloth seemed to be in trouble ,
shockey says . they decided to study the sloths instead .
pygmy three - toed sloths are pretty laid back even as sloths go , but there ' s serious trouble in the caribbean paradise where these highly specialised mangrove dwellers hang out . they were only recognised as a species in 2001 , and with their population perhaps already numbering less than 1 , 000 , time is rapidly running out . these diminutive sloths are fairly decent swimmers , can turn their heads 360 degrees and have a unique green algae that grows in their fur and provides camouflage .
. additional clones originated from sloth hairs and tree bark which were positioned within the ulvophyceae in the phylogenetic analyses of fig .
) . this systematic visual survey was conducted throughout all mangrove thickets . when we encountered a sloth an identity number was assigned , and the sloth ' s location recorded with a gps . date , time , and notes on the physical appearance and dorsal coloration of each sloth were recorded . this strictly observational study was conducted under permit # sea4311 , titled
status de
was found . the clade was subdivided into three subclades that received moderate to high internal node support . two clades , a and c in ( fig .
mating , gestation , birth and post - birth dynamics have not been observed for pygmy sloths , but these features may be inferred from studies of other species in the genus .
here we investigate the genetic diversity of the eukaryotic community present in fur of all six extant species of sloth . analysis of 71 sloth hair samples yielding 426 partial 18s rrna gene sequences demonstrates a diverse eukaryotic microbial assemblage . phylogenetic analysis reveals that sloth fur hosts a number of green algal species and suggests that acquisition of these organisms from the surrounding rainforest plays an important role in the discoloration of sloth fur . however , an alga corresponding to the morphological description of trichophilus welckeri was found to be frequent and abundant on sloth fur . phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the retention of this alga on the fur of sloths independent of geographic location .
hair samples were examined from 71 sloth individuals , which originated from french guiana , panama , costa rica and brazil ( fig .
this article mainly deals with the living tree - dwelling sloths . until geologically recent times , large ground sloths such as megatherium ( bbc 2008 ) lived in south america and parts of north america . ground sloths disappeared soon after humans arrived , suggesting that humans drove ground sloths to extinction ( mason 2005 ) . of the six living species , only one , the maned three - toed sloth ( bradypus torquatus ) , has a classification of
endangered
at present . the ongoing destruction of south america ' s forests , however , may soon prove a threat to other sloth species .
the young researchers also learned how little of the island constituted suitable habitat for the animals .
we had expected to find pygmy sloths using the interior forests of the isla escudo , but it seems they are completely reliant on mangroves for food and primary habitat ,
shockey says .
we found the intertidal mangrove thickets on only 0 . 024 percent of the already small island , and these were fragmented by upland forest and logging . this is a sobering reality for the pygmy sloth .
this project aims to improve our understanding of the pygmy sloth population and the threats to the species . to ensure the conservation of the species , it also carries out educational programmes and workshops to increase local awareness , enhance support for conservation , establish sustainable resource management , and support local authorities in enforcing legal regulations .
— 1981a . use of hands and feet of two - toed sloths ( choloepus hoffmanni ) during climbing and terrestrial locomotion . journal of mammalogy 62 : 413 - 421 .
from manuel antonio , costa rica ( three sequences ) have been excluded from this analysis . ( a ) the principal coordinate analysis ( b ) the canonical analysis of
the critically endangered pygmy sloth is only found on escudo de veraguas , a tiny island off the east coast of mainland panama . the island is the only land mass in the 41 , 596 ha escudo de veraguas - dego protected sanctuary and is a part of the natural heritage of the local ngobe - bugle people .
sloth hair grows in the opposite direction to most animals , so water runs away from the skin when the animal is upside down .
martins bezerra , b . , a . da silva souto , et al . ( 2008 ) ,
observation of brown - throated three - toed sloths : mating behaviour and the simultaneous nurturing of two young
, journal of ethology 26 ( 1 ) : 175–178 , doi : 10 . 1007 / s10164 - 007 - 0038 - z
( porphyridiales , phragmonemataceae ) , a new red alga from sloth hair . brenesia . 1986 , 25 - 26 : 163 - 68 .
weignberg , i . 1999 . speed of a sloth . in g . elert , the physics factbook . retrieved october 15 , 2008 .
— 1981b . the hand of two - toed sloths : its anatomy and potential uses relative to size of support . journal of morphology 169 ( 1 ) : 1 - 19 .
at least three genera of giant ground sloths lived in southern california during the pleistocene . a shasta ' s ground sloth skeleton was recently excavated in carlsbad ( thought to be about 2 . 1 m ( 7 ft ) long and weighing about 136 - 181 kg ( 300 - 400 lbs ) — bear sized .
but smaller . pygmy three - toed sloths have buff - colored faces with dark circles that surround the eye and go outwards to their temples . clay - orange fur covers the face , starting underneath the dark eye circles . the hair on the head and shoulders is long and bushy , distinctive against the shorter facial hair and making it look as if these sloths have a hood . the throat is brown - gray and the dorsum is speckled and has a dark mid - sagittal stripe . males differ in that they have a dorsal ginger speculum with fuzzy hair following the margin . pygmy three - toed sloths have in total 18 teeth , 10 from the upper jaw which consists of 2 anterior chisel - shaped teeth and 8 molariform teeth . on the bottom jaw there are 8 teeth ; 2 anterior chisel - shaped , and 6 molariform teeth . the skull is small in comparison to other closely related species , lacks foramina in the anterodorsal nasopharynx , and doesn ' t have pterygoid sinuses that are inflated . the zygomatic arch is incomplete with slim roots , and the process of the jugal descends long and thin .
diorene smith successfully completed her edge fellowship in 2015 . in 2016 , diorene was awarded the disney conservation hero award for her impressive dedication and hard work towards the conservation of this species . diorene has joined the iucn xenarthan specialist group and has helped to establish a collaborative ‘committee for the protection of the pygmy sloth’ overseeing conservation and research activities .
mendel , f . c . 1979 . the wrist joint of two - toed sloths : its relevance to brachiating adaptations in the hominoidea . journal of morphology 162 : 413 - 424 .
make a symbolic sloth adoption to help save some of the world ' s most endangered animals from extinction and support wwf ' s conservation efforts .
there ' s still a long way to go in the process to get the pygmy sloth protected in the u . s . the fws will now spend the next 12 months officially conducting a status review of the species , which will gather scientific data about the sloth ' s population , ecology and threats . once that step is done , fws will then declare if protection is warranted , which could kick off another 15 - month process ( at minimum ) before any legal protections can be enacted .
the pygmy sloth ' s fates have been up and down over the past 18 months . newer surveys this past april found
a bunch of very healthy babies ,
according to the friends of the pygmy sloth facebook page . but seven months before that a u . s . zoo called the dallas world aquarium almost set off an international incident by trying to export six sloths from panama to the u . s . , something it had permits from the panamanian government to do but which set off protests at the airport . the animals , plus two more that were bound for a zoo in panama , were all returned to isla escudo but one of the sloths reportedly died in october following the stressful experience .
beall , l . 2009 .
animal facts : sloth
( on - line ) . helium . accessed august 17 , 2009 at urltoken .
a sloth only has its claws for defense against predators . however , its very low level of movement and the camouflage make it difficult to notice .
] found uv - absorbing mycosporine - like amino acid ( 324 nm - maa ) from a green alga found in sloth hair . reduced exposure to uv - light could also be seen as beneficial to the sloth over the long run . however , there is no clear evidence supporting any hypothesis at present .
briggs , h . 2008 . sloth ' s lazy image
a myth .
bbc news may 13 , 2008 . retrieved october 15 , 2008 .
3 - toed is smaller , slower and both diurnal and nocturnal . highly specialized browsers - eat only leaves . 8 or 9 neck vertebrae . stout tail is 68 mm ( 2 . 7 in ) long
here we collected 71 sloth hair samples from all six extant sloth species as well as 12 environmental samples from tree trunks to survey the diversity of eukaryotic organisms present there . we found evidence for the acquisition of green algae from the environment as well as retention of green algae in the hair independent of the sloths geographic location .
britton sw : form and function in the sloth . q rev biol . 1941 , 16 : 13 - 34 . 10 . 1086 / 394620 . 190 - 207
is endemic to a single island of panama , which is protected as a wildlife refuge and is contained within the ngäbe bugle comarca . there is a need to improve the enforcement of this protected area . a comprehensive conservation plan is underway , bringing together the local community , wildlife authorities in panama , and the national and international scientific community to protect the island , using the pygmy sloth as a flagship species .
is endemic to a single island of panama , which is protected as a wildlife refuge and is contained within the ngbe bugle comarca . there is a need to improve the enforcement of this protected area . a comprehensive conservation plan is underway , bringing together the local community , wildlife authorities in panama , and the national and international scientific community to protect the island , using the pygmy sloth as a flagship species .
compared to most mammals , a sloth moves very slowly . sloths can climb only 6 to 8 feet ( 1 . 8 to 2 . 4 meters ) per minute .
] . the algae growing on sloth hair may also produce exopolymeric substances that may give the hair a desired texture or allow beneficial bacteria to grow . karsten et al . [
sloths are an integral part of tropical rain forest ecosystems . among the most common mid - sized mammals in central and south american rain forests is the brown - throated sloth .
the u . s . fish and wildlife service ( fws ) last week announced that the world’s rarest and smallest sloth could deserve protection under the endangered species act ( pdf ) .
] but has not yet been isolated into pure culture and sequenced before . it is likely not to occur in any other environment besides sloth hair given that tropical terrestrial green algal species like
the ensuing decade has not been kind to the sloths . families of indigenous fishermen from the ngöbe–buglé comarca ( a semiautonomous region roughly equivalent to a native american reservation ) began moving to the island around 1995 and quickly started cutting down mangrove trees for firewood and lumber . unfortunately , pygmy sloths depend on those mangroves for their food and habitat . as the trees disappeared , so did the sloths . shockey and fellow researchers sam kaviar and peter sundberg spent three days counting the animals and found that just 79 remained .
we were all surprised to find such a low population ,
he says . a paper detailing their census of the sloth population was published november 21 in plos one .
similarly , intriguing questions about the origins of life and why our planet is blessed with such a variety of life forms could remain unanswered . fascinating discoveries about our world , such as the dinosaur - tree wollemi pine , the glow - in - the - dark cockroach and a pygmy sloth living on its own caribbean island don’t contribute majorly to gdp . one could argue that humans would survive , albeit with diminished lives , if that’s all taxonomists did .
the field team , led by former edge fellow diorene , visit escudo twice a year to monitor the pygmy sloth population . transects are walked through the mangroves and forest , where the team record the number of sloths and other important data on their activity and habitat use . we have also put radio collars and gps backpacks on the sloths to help us find out how large an area each individual needs and which parts of the island they use in different seasons .
some reports suggest that female sloths give birth to a single offspring , but observations of a female brown - throated sloth in the wild with two infants suggest that they are capable of producing twins .
the tough leaves in a sloth ' s diet are difficult to digest . sloths have a four - part stomach that slowly digests the leaves with bacteria . it can take up to a month for a sloth to digest one meal . their leafy diet isn ' t very nutritious though , so they don ' t get much energy from it . this may be why sloths are so slow .
our objective was to ascertain the population status of the pygmy three - toed sloth , bradypus pygmaeus , an iucn critically endangered species , on isla escudo de veraguas , panama . bradypus pygmaeus are thought to be folivorous mangrove specialists ; therefore we conducted a visual systematic survey of all 10 mangrove thickets on the island . the total mangrove habitat area was measured to be 1 . 67 ha , comprising 0 . 024 % of the total island area . the population survey found low numbers of b . pygmaeus in the mangrove thickets and far lower numbers outside of them . the connectivity of subpopulations between these thickets on the island is not established , as b . pygmaeus movement data is still lacking . we found 79 individuals of b . pygmaeus ; 70 were found in mangroves and 9 were observed just beyond the periphery of the mangroves in non - mangrove tree species . low population number , habitat fragmentation and habitat loss could lead to inbreeding , a loss of genetic diversity , and extinction of b . pygmaeus .
. green algae were neither found in microscopic examinations of these two samples . an average of 27 % of the sloth samples for which 18s rrna gene clone libraries were constructed contained green algae ( fig .
. a small tuft of sloth hair was sampled from a greenish patch , if the animal was visibly green or a darker patch if no greenish coloring was observed . the hair was removed with scissors and preserved in a plastic vial containing silica gel . samples were stored in silica gel at ambient temperature until further processing , which usually varied from one to three months . all hair samples were studied with a light microscope . if green algae were visibly present they were photographed for further comparison and preserved samples were kept in silica gel for herbarium material . in addition to the sloth hair samples we collected environmental samples from 12 locations on barro colorado island ( additional file
although the island is uninhabited , there are seasonal visitors ( fishermen , campesinos , lobster divers , tourists , and local people ) who harvest timber to maintain wooden houses on the island . preliminary studies suggest a reduced level of genetic diversity for pygmy sloths compared to its putative population of origin , the common sloth population from mainland panama . this is expected , considering the history of species diversification and isolation on the island . however , signs of a more recent population bottleneck were also detected ( silva
its scientific name , bradypus , is greek for
slow feet ,
which makes sense since it is the world ' s slowest animal . it is so slow , in fact , that algae grows on its fur , according to national geographic . the algae works to the sloth ' s advantage , though . the green of the algae helps the sloth blend into the trees , hiding it from predators .
for the most part , a sloth ' s life revolves around sleeping and eating in their tree homes . the only times these mammals leave their tree is to use the bathroom and to take a swim .


texella cokendolpheri is a rare species of arachnid known by the common name cokendolpher cave harvestman .

it may also be called the robber baron cave harvestman .

it is endemic to texas in the united states , where it is only known from a single cave in bexar county .

it is a federally listed endangered species of the united states .

this is " a small eyeless or essentially eyeless " harvestman .

it is pale orange in color .

it is a troglobite that lives its whole life in a subterranean karst cave .

it is known only from robber baron cave in bexar county , a cave which runs underneath a heavily urbanized area .

the cave is owned by the texas cave management association .

this cave is also the only home for the robber baron cave meshweaver ( cicurina baronia ) , a spider .

the worst threat to this and other rare local troglobites is the outright loss of their cave habitat , which is destroyed as the land is consumed for urban development , or during quarrying operations .

caves are also altered and polluted so that they can not support this and other species .

texella cokendolpheri

beetles : rhadine exilis / rhadine infernalis / batrisodes venyivi harvestman : texella cokendolpheri spiders : cicurina baronia / c . madla / c . venii / c . vespera / neoleptoneta microps
texella mulaiki c . j . goodnight and m . l . goodnight , 1942
texella reddelli c . j . goodnight and m . l . goodnight , 1967 – bee creek cave harvestman
the harvestman family phalangodidae . 5 . new records and species of texella goodnight and goodnight ( opiliones : laniatores )
ubick , d . and t . s . briggs . 1992 . the harvestman family phalangodidae . 3 . revision of texella goodnight and goodnight ( opiliones : laniatores ) . texas mem . mus . , speleol . monogr . 3 : 155 - 240 .
ubick , d . and t . s . briggs . 2004 . the harvestman family phalangodidae . 5 . new records and species of texella goodnight and goodnight ( opiliones : laniatores ) . texas memorial museum . speleological monographs , 6 : 101 - 141 .
rhadine exilis and rhadine infernalis were first collected in 1959 and described by barr and lawrence ( 1960 ) as agonum exile and agonum infernale , respectively . barr ( 1974 ) assigned the species to the genus rhadine . batrisodes venyivi was first collected in 1984 and described by chandler ( 1992 ) . texella cokendolpheri was first collected in 1982 and described in ubick and briggs ( 1992 ) . cicurina baronia , cicurina madla , cicurina venii , and cicurina vespera were first collected in 1969 , 1963 , 1980 , and 1965 , respectively . in 1992 , gertsch described these species . neoleptoneta microps was first collected in 1965 and described by gertsch ( 1974 ) as leptoneta microps . the species was reassigned to neoleptoneta following brignoli ( 1977 ) and platnick ( 1986 ) .
summary : we , the u . s . fish and wildlife service ( service ) , determine nine cave - dwelling invertebrates from bexar county , texas , to be endangered species under the authority of the endangered species act of 1973 , as amended ( act ) . rhadine exilis ( no common name ) and rhadine infernalis ( no common name ) are small , essentially eyeless ground beetles . batrisodes venyivi ( helotes mold beetle ) is a small , eyeless beetle . texella cokendolpheri ( robber baron cave harvestman ) is a small , eyeless harvestman ( daddy - longlegs ) . cicurina baronia ( robber baron cave spider ) , cicurina madla ( madla ' s cave spider ) , cicurina venii ( no common name ) , cicurina vespera ( vesper cave spider ) , and neoleptoneta microps ( government canyon cave spider ) are all small , eyeless or essentially eyeless spiders .
known from a single locality , robber baron cave in bexar county , texas . although the cave entrance is protected as a preserve by the texas cave management association ( tcma ) , this cave is relatively large , and the land that overlies the cave is heavily urbanized . the cave has also been historically subject to extensive commercial and recreational use ( veni 1988 ) . in addition , the current gate on the cave is blocking organic material from entering and may be severely limiting food input and impacting the cave fauna ( veni and reddell , pers . comm . 2001 in cockendolpher and reddell , 2004 ) . while no regular biomonitoring occurs in robber baron cave , there are no records of specimens of t . cokendolpheri collected since october 1993 ( usfws 2008 ) .
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this species has been referred to by two common names , the robber baron cave harvestman ( usfws 2000 ) and the cokendolpher cave harvestman ( breene et al . 2003 ) . the latter name has been accepted as the official common name ( breene et al . 2003 , usfws 2003 ) .
due to latency between updates made in state , provincial or other natureserve network databases and when they appear on natureserve explorer , for state or provincial information you may wish to contact the data steward in your jurisdiction to obtain the most current data . please refer to
there are nine bexar county , texas invertebrates that were listed as endangered on december 26 , 2000 . the recovery priority number for all bexar county karst invertebrates is 2c , which means that these species face a high degree of threat with a high potential for recovery and there may be conflict between species recovery and economic development .
known only from robber baron cave in the alamo heights karst region , bexar county , texas .
population estimates are unavailable for any of the nine troglobites listed as endangered in bexar county ( usfws , 2000 ) due to lack of adequate techniques , their cryptic behavior , and inaccessibility of habitat ( usfws , 2008 ) . culver et al . ( 2000 ) states that while some troglobites are known from a few specimens , detailed studies suggest that
as a rule
most troglobites
are not numerically rare and thus are not susceptible to the problems of small populations .
however , considering the lack of population estimates and limited study of these species , data are insufficient to indicate whether bexar county karst invertebrates are numerous enough to rule out small population concerns ( usfws , 2008 ) .
based on usfws ( 2008 ) , reduce threats to the species by securing an adequate quantity and quality of caves , including selecting caves or cave clusters that represent the range of the species and potential genetic diversity , then preserving these caves , including their drainage basins and surface communities upon which they rely . maintenance of these cave preserves involves keeping them free from contamination , excessive human visitation , and non - native fire ants by regularly tracking progress and implementing adaptive management to control these and any new threats when necessary . monitoring the population status and threats are also components of recovery . because many aspects of the population dynamics and habitat requirements of the species are poorly understood , recovery is also dependant on incorporating research findings into adaptive management actions .
( < 100 square km ( less than about 40 square miles ) ) known only from robber baron cave in the alamo heights karst region , bexar county , texas .
use the generic guidelines for the application of occurrence ranks ( 2008 ) . the key for ranking species occurrences using the generic approach provides a step - wise process for implementing this method .
zoological data developed by natureserve and its network of natural heritage programs ( see local programs ) and other contributors and cooperators ( see sources ) .
culver , d . c . , l . l . master , m . c . christman , and h . h . hobbs iii . 2000 . obligate cave fauna of the 48 contiguous united states . conservation biology 14 ( 2 ) : 386 - 401 .
elliott , w . r . 2000 . conservation of the north american cave and karst biota . pages 665 - 689 in wilkens , h . , d . c . culver , and w . f . humphreys ( editors ) . subterranean ecosystems . ecosystems of the world , 30 . elsevier , amsterdam . xiv + 791 pp . corrected version online . available : urltoken
longacre , c . 2000 . endangered and threatened wildlife and plants ; final rule to list nine bexar county , texas invertebrate species as endangered . u . s . fish and wildlife service ( usfws ) . federal register 65 ( 248 ) .
rappaport , c . j . 1998 . department of interior fish and wildlife service 50 cfr part 17 , rin 1018 - af33 , endangered and threatened wildlife and plants ; proposal to list nine bexar county , texas invertebrate species as endangered . federal register , 63 ( 250 ) : 71855 - 71867 .
stanford , r . , and a . shull . 1993 . department of interior fish and wildlife service 50 cfr part 17 ; 90 - day finding on a petition to list nine bexar county , tx , invertebrates . federal register , 58 ( 229 ) : 63328 - 63329 .
u . s . fish and wildlife service ( usfws ) . 1994 . endangered and threatened wildlife and plants ; animal candidate review for listing as endangered or threatened species . federal register 59 ( 219 ) : 58982 - 59028 .
u . s . fish and wildlife service ( usfws ) . 2003 . endangered and threatened wildlife and plants ; designation of critical habitat for seven bexar county , texas , invertebrate species ; final rule . federal register 68 ( 67 ) : 17156 - 17231 .
u . s . fish and wildlife service ( usfws ) . 2008 . draft bexar county karst invertebrate recovery plan . 125 pp .
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ridgely , r . s . , t . f . allnutt , t . brooks , d . k . mcnicol , d . w . mehlman , b . e . young , and j . r . zook . 2003 . digital distribution maps of the birds of the western hemisphere , version 1 . 0 . natureserve , arlington , virginia , usa .
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designation of critical habitat for nine bexar county , tx , invertebrates final rule . and a 12 - month finding on a petition to revise critical habitat designation by removing unit 13 from designation under the act - not warranted .
designation of critical habitat for nine bexar county invertebrates : proposed rule ; reopening of comment period .
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disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
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action : final rule . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
these species ( referred to in this final rule as the nine invertebrates ) are known from karst topography ( limestone formations containing caves , sinks , fractures and fissures ) in north and northwest bexar county . threats to the species and their habitat include destruction and / or deterioration of habitat by construction ; filling of caves and karst features and loss of permeable cover ; contamination from septic effluent , sewer leaks , run - off , pesticides , and other sources ; predation by and competition with nonnative fire ants ; and vandalism . this action will implement federal protection provided by the act for these species . we based our decision on the best available information , including that received during public comment on the proposal to list these species .
effective date : the effective date of this rule is december 26 , 2000 .
addresses : the complete file for this rule is available for inspection , by appointment , during normal business hours at the austin ecological services field office , 10711 burnet road , suite 200 , austin , texas 78758 .
for further information contact : alisa shull , supervisory fish and wildlife biologist , austin ecological services field office ( telephone 512 / 490 - 0057 ; facsimile 512 / 490 - 0974 ) .
these nine invertebrates are obligate ( capable of surviving in only one environment ) karst or cave - dwelling species ( troglobites ) of local distribution in karst terrain in bexar county , texas . ` ` karst ' ' is a type of terrain in which the rock is dissolved by water so that much of the drainage occurs into the subsurface rather than as runoff . the subsurface drainage leads to passages or other openings within the underground rock formations . some of the features that develop in karst areas include cave openings , holes in rocks , cracks , fissures , and sinkholes .
habitat required by the nine karst invertebrate species consists of underground , honeycomb limestone that maintains high humidity and stable temperatures . the surface environment of karst areas is also an integral part of the habitat needed by the animals inhabiting the underground areas . openings to the surface allow energy and nutrients , in the form of leaf litter , surface insects , other animals , and animal droppings to enter the underground ecosystem . mammal feces provide a medium for the growth of fungi and , subsequently , localized population blooms of several species of tiny , hopping insects . these insects reproduce rapidly on rich food sources and may become prey for some predatory cave invertebrates ( service 1994 ) . while the life habits of the nine invertebrates are not well known , the species probably prey on the eggs , larvae , or adults of other cave invertebrates .
we funded a status survey ( veni 1994a ; reddell 1993 ) of all nine species through a grant to the texas parks and wildlife department ( tpwd ) under section 6 of the act . researchers obtained landowner permission to study and assess threats to 41 caves in north and northwest bexar county , texas . landowners denied permission to access an additional 36 caves that biologists believed likely to contain species of concern . researchers described all 77 caves , to some extent , before the status survey was conducted and some were already known to contain at least one of the nine invertebrates .
during the status survey , the researchers made a collection of the invertebrate fauna at each cave studied , assessed the condition of the cave environment and threats to the species , and collected geological data . they used this information to prepare two reports . one report discusses the overall karst geography in the san antonio region and the potential geologic and geographic barriers to karst invertebrate migration ( on an evolutionary time scale ) and limits to their distribution ( veni 1994a ) . the other report ( reddell 1993 ) details the fauna of each cave visited during the study and presents information obtained from invertebrate collections .
veni ' s ( 1994a ) report delineates six karst areas ( hereafter referred to as karst regions ) within bexar county . the karst regions he discusses are stone oak , utsa ( university of texas at san antonio ) , helotes , government canyon , culebra anticline , and alamo heights . the boundaries of these karst regions are geological or geographical features that may represent obstructions to troglobite movement ( on a geologic time scale ) which has resulted in the present - day distribution of endemic ( restricted in distribution ) karst invertebrates in the san antonio region .
batrisodes venyivi , the helotes mold beetle , is known from only three caves in the vicinity of helotes , texas , northwest of san antonio . two of these caves are located in the helotes karst region on private property . we do not have reliable information on the collection from the third cave . the collector of the specimen declined to give us a specific site collection record , but we believe it is located on private property .
rhadine exilis is known from 35 caves in north and northwest bexar county . twenty - one are located on department of defense ( dod ) land in the stone oak karst region . the remainder are distributed among the helotes , utsa , and stone oak karst regions , while one location lies in the government canyon region . one of the non - dod sites is located in a county road right - of - way , one is located in a state - owned natural area , and the remainder are located on private property . ongoing efforts by the dod to locate and inventory karst features on camp bullis and to document the karst fauna communities in caves on camp bullis resulted in discovery of 18 of the 35 caves mentioned above ( veni 1994b ; james reddell , pers . comm . 1997 ) .
rhadine infernalis is known from 25 caves . this species occurs in five of the six karst regions - - helotes , utsa , stone oak , culebra anticline , and government canyon . scientists have delineated three subspecies ( rhadine infernalis ewersi , rhadine infernalis infernalis , rhadine infernalis ssp . ) , and described and named two of these in scientific literature ( barr 1960 , barr and lawrence 1960 ) . in a recent report , scientists characterized the third subspecies as distinct , but not named ( reddell 1998 ) . only three caves , all on dod land , contain the subspecies rhadine infernalis ewersi . sixteen caves contain the subspecies rhadine infernalis infernalis and lie in the government canyon , helotes , utsa , and stone oak regions . six caves in the culebra anticline region contain the unnamed subspecies .
cicurina venii is known from only one cave , which is located on private property in the culebra anticline karst region . the species was collected in 1980 and 1983 , but the cave itself was not initially described until 1988 ( reddell 1993 ) . the cave entrance was filled during construction of a home in 1990 . without excavation , it is difficult to determine what effect this incident had on the species ; however , there may still be some nutrient input , from a reported small side passage .
cicurina baronia , the robber baron cave spider , is known only from robber baron cave in the alamo heights karst region . although the cave entrance is owned and operated by the texas cave management association , it is located in a heavily urbanized area .
cicurina madla , madla ' s cave spider , is known from six caves . one cave is within the government canyon karst region in government canyon state natural area , one is on dod land , three are located in the helotes karst region on private property , and one is located on private property in the utsa karst region .
biologists have found cicurina vespera , the vesper cave spider , in two caves . one cave is government canyon bat cave in the government canyon state natural area , and the other is a cave 5 miles northeast of helotes . the location and name of this latter cave have not been revealed to us , but we believe it is located on private property .
neoleptoneta microps is known only from the government canyon karst region , from two caves within government canyon state natural area .
in the course of conducting the 1993 status survey , veni contacted landowners and requested access to as many caves as possible that were believed to be potential habitat for the nine invertebrates . it is possible that these species occur in some of the caves that could not be visited and that new locations of the nine invertebrates will be discovered in the future . although these new discoveries may increase the number of locations where the species are found , they are expected to fall within the same general range and are expected to face the same threats as the known occurrences of these species . the listing of these species is not based on a demonstrable decline in the number of individuals or the number of known locations of each species , but rather on reliable evidence that each species is subject to threats to its continued existence throughout all or a significant portion of its range .