The Elusive Maned Sloths of Brazil

I love receiving newsletters from www.slothconservation.org in Costa Rica, a place I would love to visit in the near future. My buddy keeps saying, “Marion, you must visit!”

From the newsletter…
In March 2021, we traveled to Brazil to meet Professor Gastón Giné, who has been conducting extensive research on maned sloths. We went there to learn more about the species and to collaborate by providing 10 GPS backpacks to study the ecology of maned sloths in Sapiranga Reserve, Bahia. You can read about our first trip to Brazil here.

The maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus) was first described in 1811 by Carolo Illigier. In 1850, the British zoologist John Edward Gray claimed to have discovered a second species, which he named Bradypus crinitus, but his assertions were dismissed.

Now, 172 years later, science has proved Gray right. Thanks to colleagues from Brazil, the Southern Maned Sloth (Bradypus crinitus) is officially recognized as the seventh sloth species!

What are the differences between the two species? And what are the implications of this discovery? Read our latest blog!

The story of the Southern Maned sloths, John Edward Gray, and the modern Brazilian researchers is the story of science itself: a continuous journey of learning, refutations, and the ongoing search for evidence. It also embodies the metaphor “standing on the shoulders of giants,” which in science refers to discovering the truth by building on previous discoveries. 

You might be wondering, why is this important? Does it make a difference? Well, this discovery has several implications for the conservation status of all maned sloths, and research can provide invaluable tools and information for organizations and authorities to create and improve strategies to preserve this fascinating species. And, continuing with the giants’ metaphor, it sets the foundation for further research!

Research is extremely important in sloth conservation because, how can we protect a species if we do not know anything about it? We’re proud to say that research is a core pillar of our organization, and we conduct studies thanks to the support of our community.

Thank you once again, and I hope you have enjoyed this update! See you next week with more sloth news!

Cecilia Pamich
Communications & Outreach