Sloths are a Neotropical group of xenarthran mammals constituting the suborder Folivora, including the extant arboreal tree sloths and extinct terrestrial ground sloths.
They are much faster in the water than on land, and can even hold their breath for up to 40 minutes by slowing their heart rate.
Their low metabolic rate is the reason for their slowness. It can take up to a month for a sloth to fully digest a single leafy meal.
Millions of years ago, there were giant ground sloths that were as large as elephants.
They spend most of their lives hanging upside down in trees, and can even survive falling from a great height without injury.
A sloth will only descend from a tree to poop about once a week. After defecating, it performs a "poop dance" at the base of the tree to dig a hole and bury its waste.