Rare Video of Sloth Giving Birth From a Tree Captured in Costa Rica

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Tourists in Costa Rica recently witnessed a magical and elusive event—the birth of a three-toed sloth.

Seconds after the baby sloth emerged, it slipped out of its mother’s grasp. But instead of plummeting to the forest floor below, the baby dangled from its umbilical cord. On that experts speculate the possibility of it being an evolutionary strategy. 

For starters, sloths are secretive and sedentary creatures, almost always hidden in the treetops. Three-toed sloths, of which there are four living species, are also much harder to spot in the wild than their cousins, the two-toed sloths.

Less clear, however, is whether the umbilical cord usually acts as a life-saving device for the tree-dwelling mammals—there simply aren’t enough observations to know for sure.

The video illustrates why citizen science is so important: It offers a valuable glimpse into a species’ behavior that can help scientists fill in knowledge gaps about a particular species. What’s more, such observations can provide data for experts in crafting conservation plans.

The brown-throated sloth, which is widespread among protected areas in Central and South America, is not in danger of extinction—but other sloth species are, such as the critically endangered pygmy three-toed sloth.

 

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/animals/2020/03/sloth-birth-costa-rica-baby

 

Warning: don't watch it if you are easily grossed out!

[Economy 52,842]

The fact that we can literally observe other galaxies billions of light years away and mathematical equations to try to explain the essence of the universe yet there's so much about our own planet still to learn 

 

Science is awesome

 

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[dit 46,738]

The way he just jumped without a parachute  Luckily he was still attached by the umbilical cord. Damn  

[Blastertoyo 22,734]

Ugh her mind 

[RahrahWitch 6,985]

A Proud Mom look at that face

[UnknownUser71 2,878]

Awww 

[AmericanxDream 2,049]

Thought this was gonna be about The Goonies. Cute though. 

[Miichael 1,177]

How amazing 

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I am afraid to play it