American sloth lemur (SciiFii)

The American sloth lemur (Megalopropithecus gigantolonyx), also known as the North American sloth, is a species of adapiform primate, despite its name, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across North America to help boost biodiversity. Male American sloth lemurs are 45 to 55 centimetres (18 to 22 inches) in head-body length, with a short, 6 centimetres (1.6 to 2.4 inches) tail, and weigh from 3.2 to 6 kilograms (7.1 to 13.2 lb). However, the females are noticeably larger, being from 50 to 75 centimetres (20 to 30 inches) in length, and weighing 3.8 to 6.5 kilograms (8.4 to 14.3 lb). The body is covered with coarse guard hairs up to 10 centimetres (3.9 inches) long, with a finer undercoat. Green algae live mutualistically between the microscopic scales on the surface of the guard hairs, giving the American sloth lemur a somewhat greenish appearance that serves as camouflage. The eyes are large and forward facing for binocular vision, with round pupils. Despite its apparently small ears, the American sloth lemur has excellent hearing; it also has a good sense of smell. American sloth lemurs eat only leaves, twigs, and buds of the trees. American sloth lemurs are solitary, herbivorous animals that spend almost their entire lives in trees. Depending on habitat, population densities of anything from 1.7 to 221 per square kilometre (4.4 to 572.4/sq mi) have been reported. The American sloth lemur can hang so securely with its strong grasping hands and feet that it even falls asleep in this position. It may even stay suspended in the trees for some time after it dies. They have been reported to spend over eighteen hours each day asleep, and move through the tree canopy only very slowly. They periodically descend from the trees to defecate, depositing a pile of small pellets in a hole dug into the ground. Despite their arboreal lifestyle, they are effective swimmers. Their call is a bird-like whistle described as an "ai-ai" sound. Mating takes place in the trees, with the pair either face to face, or with the male on the female's back. The female gives birth to a single infant after a gestation period of about six months. The young are born already fully furred, and with open eyes. The young animal clings to the mother's underside for the first month of life, by which time it has reached a weight of around 300 grams (10 oz). They begin to take solid food at three weeks, and are fully weaned some time after the first month. The young initially have soft greyish-brown fur, which darkens and becomes rougher as they age. They reach sexual maturity at around three years. The conservation status of the American koala lemur is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the American koala lemur's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii]]