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Meet the Little Linne's Two-toed Baby Sloth Born at National Aquarium

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The National Aquarium in Baltimore welcomed a new addition to the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit – a Linne’s Two-toed Sloth was born in late August! Their baby is the first born to Ivy, one of the four Sloths in the exhibit, and is the third Sloth born at National Aquarium. It was born fully haired and already has its trademark claws! 

Linne’s Two-toed Sloths are commonly found in South America’s rain forests, where they spend their entire lives in the trees. They are nocturnal by nature, fairly active at night while spending most of the day sleeping. Adult sloths are typically the size of a small dog, approximately 24–30 inches in length and about 12–20 pounds in weight.

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Photo Credits: National Aquarium

Read more about Sloths below the fold:

Upon initial observations, the baby seems strong and healthy and is actively clinging and crawling about on its mom. Animal care staff suspects the baby will continue to cling for the first several weeks, though Sloths can remain dependant on their mothers for up to a year. Staff are keeping a close eye on the two and have spotted the baby actively nursing. Ivy and her new infant are free roaming in the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit for visitors to see, though they may be particularly good at hiding in the trees for at least a few weeks.

“Despite the fact that the Two-toed Sloth is a fairly common animal, many of its most basic behaviors are still a mystery because they are rarely observed,” commented Ken Howell, curator of Rain Forest Exhibits at National Aquarium. “We’re thrilled to welcome the new baby to our family and we hope that it will increase awareness and interest in this group of most unusual mammals.”

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