A happy accident | Tracking Diaries #16
While strolling back from the beach one afternoon, I noticed a bunch of people standing by the side of the road, their necks craned upwards towards a tree that they were staring at intently.
Questions and Certainties
Are sloths drinking more water than before? Is the smoke from cars affecting the delicate micro-ecosystems of green algae and moths that sloths have in their fur? Are sloths affected by artificial lights?
October 2023 | Tales From the Jungle
Firstly, a heartfelt thank you for joining us in celebrating Slothtober! International Sloth Day was an overwhelming success with the outpouring of loving messages, photos, art, and fundraisers from around the globe!
From Crops to Sloths: The Sweeping Impact of Crazy Ants
From Crops to Sloths: The Sweeping Impact of Crazy Ants Costa Rica has a problem, a crazy ant problem!
Solar Eclipses: When Day Turns to Night, How Do Sloths Respond?
On Saturday, 14 October, parts of the western hemisphere, including our little corner of the South Caribbean, will experience a breathtaking celestial show: an annular solar eclipse.
September 2023 | Tales from the Jungle
Next month, we’ll be honoring the slowest mammal on Earth! We are gearing up (at our own un-slothful pace) to celebrate International Sloth Day, which is just three weeks away.
How Weather Shapes Maned Sloths’ Behavior and Visibility
The Maned Sloth, also known as Bradypus torquatus, indigenous to the Atlantic coastal rainforest of Brazil, are threatened by human interference, hunting activities, deforestation, and habitat loss, as well as climate change that affect their behavior.
La Selva Sloths | Downloading the data wirelessly
Our team of researchers spent three days at La Selva Biological Station and Reserve at the end of August. There, they tried downloading the data from the GPS collar we fitted on Misty, George, and Selvina.
Meet La Selva Sloths: George, Misty, and Selvina
We are entering the next phase of the Urban Sloth Project! The aim of the Urban Sloth Project (USP) is to understand how urbanization and habitat disturbance are affecting the lives of sloths and their ecology.
August 2023 | Tales from the Jungle
We did it! Our first in-person event in the US was a total success! Over 100 guests enjoyed an afternoon of live music, sloth stories, and conservation adventures.
Human-Caused Wildfires Spell Doom for Giant Sloths in California
In a recently published investigation called “Pre–Younger Dryas megafaunal extirpation at Rancho La Brea linked to fire-driven state shift,” Frank O’Keefe from Marshall University and his research team unfold the factors behind the disappearance of enormous prehistoric creatures in Southern California.
Tales from Our Volunteers | Tracking Diaries #15
“July was my first serious month of volunteering, as I was still learning in June. I enjoyed feeling more confident in my sloth-tracking abilities and becoming more familiar with the area.
July 2023 | Tales From the Jungle
Hello, Sloth community! Here in the South Caribbean, we’re at the peak of the rainy season and carry on the projects with our gum boots! Let’s dive into the news!
Luna: Her Illuminating Legacy
Luna made an unexpected entrance into the Urban Sloth Project (USP) in March 2021, accompanied by her first baby, Sol.
June 2023 | Tales From The Jungle
I hope this newsletter finds you well! As summer arrives in the Northern Hemisphere and the South enjoys winter days, our little corner of Costa Rica is currently experiencing the rainy season.
SloCo Expedition to La Selva for GPS Collaring and Sample Collection
The SloCo team visited La Selva Biological Station and Reserve to place GPS collars on the sloths that live there.
Collars, Backpacks, and Data Loggers: How to study sloths in the Wild
One would think that due to sloths’ famously slow lifestyle, observing them in the wild would not be a hard task. However, their slow lifestyle (a consequence of having the slowest metabolism of any land mammal) has resulted in the evolutionary aim of being nearly undetectable in the trees to avoid predation from Jaguars and Harpy Eagles.
Sloth Versus Sea Turtles
Sloths and Sea Turtles couldn’t be more different animals. One is a furry mammal, and the other is an aquatic reptile. However, these two have more in common than we could think!
The Sweet Saga of Mango
We will never forget that stormy day in May 2021 when we found Mango on the ground outside of HQ, tiny and wet, and clearly out of her depth. Jim, our plushie sloth mascot, came to the rescue as Mango’s surrogate mother. Mango clung to Jim and almost immediately fell asleep.
MAY 2023 | Tales From The Jungle
New research published! Are sloths nocturnal? How much time do they spend sleeping, climbing, or resting? We are proud to announce our latest published research about sloth activity patterns! Check out the findings of our team in this article!