Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth - Characteristics

Characteristics

Hoffmann's two-toed sloth is a heavily built animal with shaggy fur and slow, deliberate, movements. The forefeet have only two toes, each ending with long, curved claws, although there are three clawed toes on each of the hindfeet. Other features that distinguish it from three-toed sloths, which may be found in the same geographic areas, include the longer snout, the fact that the toes of the forefeet are separate, rather than being partially fused, and the absence of hair on the soles of the feet.

Hoffmann's two-toed sloth is, however, much easier to confuse with the related Linne's two-toed sloth, which it closely resembles. The primary physical differences between the two species related to subtle skeletal features; for example, Hoffmann's two-toed sloth has three foramina in the upper forward part of the interpterygoid space, rather than just two, and often - but not always - has fewer cervical vertebrae.

Adults range from 54 to 72 centimetres (21 to 28 in) in head-body length, and weigh anything from 2.1 to 9 kilograms (4.6 to 20 lb). Although they do have a stubby tail, just 1.5 to 3 centimetres (0.59 to 1.2 in) long, this is too short to be visible through the long fur. The claws range are 5 to 6.5 centimetres (2.0 to 2.6 in) long. Females are larger on average than males, although there is considerable overlap in size. Their fur is tan to light brown in colour, being lighter on the face, but usually has a greenish tinge because of the presence of algae living in the hairs.