The First Ever Recorded Three-Fingered Sloth with Leucism!
Last week, something truly extraordinary happened in the South Caribbean of Costa Rica: a three-fingered sloth baby with leucism was spotted! This is the first case ever recorded of its kind.
This incredibly rare little sloth and their mother were found by Azalia Zuñiga, who generously shared the photos with our collaborator Carlotta Rech.
Azalia found the mom and baby duo while they were traversing the property on the ground, a common sight in the urbanized areas of the South Caribbean of Costa Rica, where the lack of connectivity in the canopy makes sloths and other arboreal animals descend to the ground to move in their territories.
Leucism in Sloths
Leucism is a genetic condition that results in a partial loss of pigmentation, causing animals to appear pale or patchy, but unlike albinism, it does not affect the eyes.
Because of the uniqueness of this sloth, we have begun monitoring him closely to better understand how his condition might affect his life in the wild.
A Camouflaged Leucistic Sloth?
Sloths can’t escape from predators (big cats and eagles), so they rely on their slow movements and camouflaged fur to avoid being detected. Three-fingered sloths are greyish, and the green algae in the hair give them a mossy trunk-like aspect.
So, how will camouflage work on this unique sloth? We don’t know yet! And because this little one is still a baby sloth, the green algae has not grown yet.
A Ghost in the Jungle
Stay tuned for upcoming updates as we continue to follow this rare leucistic sloth and learn more about their life in the wild!
You can support our research and conservation efforts by donating, symbolically adopting a sloth, or sponsoring a project; every contribution makes a difference!
Thank you again for being part of this journey with us and for allowing us to share with you these surprising moments that sloths gift us. See you in the next email with more sloth news, stories, and content from the treetops!
