Interactions Between a Sloth and a Brown Jay

Published this month in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment is a new observation that brown jays feast on the moths and other insects that live within a sloth’s fur.

A sloth’s fur is full of moths, insects, algae and fungi. The moths use the sloth’s travelling ecosystem to find mates and lay their eggs. The sloth also eats the algae that grows on itself as a supplement to its diet. Hence the pilfering by brown jays might not be such a welcome addition to this little ecosystem.

However, due to the abundance of parasites that also lives in sloth fur, the birds may be doing them a favour. In addition, brown jays may alert the sloth to presence of predators in the area, giving them a heads-up, as generally they are very slow to respond.

Understanding how organisms interact through natural history and descriptive ecological research can help us make important scientific advancements and practice conservation more effectively.

 

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Read the entire article here.

 

 

 

SLOTH KONG

Sloth Kong has taken over Juan Santamaría International Airport to wish visitors a good trip home – and a quick return – after their stays in Costa Rica. Once passengers have checked their bags, they are encouraged to take a photo with Sloth Kong and share it on Facebook with the hashtag #SlothKong.slothkongairport

The Lost Sloth

This internet game from Animade is terrific! Simple, yet cute little graphics. All you have to do is hover the cursor over the big detailed house, to find the little sloth. Screen Shot 2015-04-06 at 1.47.09 pmOnce you’ve found him, you can play again and again. Who knows where he’ll pop up next! Play the game at this linkScreen Shot 2015-04-06 at 1.46.41 pm

Happy Easter Sloth Friends!

It’s Easter Sunday today! Started with a family brunch complete with croissants, hot cross buns, sparkling moscato, and chocolate eggs of course. slothandrabbit

My little cousins also made Easter cards for the boy and I.

I got a card with a sloth coming out of an Easter egg, did you?

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