Sloth vs Sloth!

I'm Coyote Peterson. Now I think we can all agree that sloths are absolutely adorable. But did you know that there's different kinds? If not, stick around, because it's sloth feeding time. Look at that, they're kissing. Costa Rica is home to an enormous variety of wildlife. Being positioned geographically between North and South America, its neotropical climate creates the perfect habitat for nearly half a million species of animals. And while a large portion of these creatures are creepy, crawly, slithery, or slimy, there are also around 200 species of mammals. However, getting up close with them in the wild is nearly impossible. So today I will be visiting the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary, which is perfectly placed along the Pacific coast in the beachfront town of Dominical. This facility helps displaced or injured animals rehabilitate so that they can eventually be released back into the wild. The sanctuary is home to many species. And on this episode, I will be getting to spend my morning with two very adorable baby sloths. It's sloth feeding time. Now we make these versus videos and people always think that the animals are gonna fight. Not the case, especially when it comes to baby sloths. Now what you're looking at here is a three-toed sloth and a two-toed sloth. Now there are some very distinct differences between these two species, and right now we're going to show you those differences. Notice how the three-toed sloth has a very coarse coat that is darker in coloration, while the two-toed is much softer and lighter in color. Face structure, however, is the most visually obvious difference. You can see how distinct the face of the three-toed sloth is. And this is the quintessential sloth species here in Costa Rica, the most famous of the sloths. Has that really adorable little raccoon-looking mask, those black beady eyes, and that button nose. When you look at the two-toed sloth, you'll see that the coloration is a goldish tan, the nose, the lips, and the eyes are all lighter in coloration, and the snout is slightly elongated. Good morning, Cookie, how are you? Is this fun? You're on camera this morning, you're the star of the show. Both of you are. You could have your own show, couldn't you? I feel like you'd be a good host. This is absolutely the coolest thing I've ever done, feeding both a two-toed and a three-toed sloth at the same time. Here we go, camera, let's see if you want some more. You want some more? Oh, he likes my watch. Licking my watch. Look at that. You get a shot of that? Yum, yum, yum. Yep, can't eat the watch. Let's go back to having milk and not my watch. How about that? I must have gotten goat milk on my watch because that all of a sudden became the topic of interest. And they can eat up to 20 syringes of milk in a sitting. Got a milk mustache there. Let's get that for you. There you go. Okay. Was that good? Finger structure is another major difference between these species. The three-toed sloth has three fingers on its forefeet. They are fused together and act like a grappling hook as they hang from tree branches. The two-toed is actually capable of independently moving its two fingers. And the hairless paw pads allow it to easily grip and manipulate food. And both species are arboreal, which means that they spend the majority of their time up in the trees. Actually, the only time that they ever come down to the ground is to move from tree to tree or every seven days, that's when they go to the bathroom. So you'll just sit around for seven days and eat leaves and fruit and flowers and then you'll come down to do your business. But when they're up in the trees, they're mainly solitary animals except for when it's a female with a baby or during breeding season. So you can look up into the treetops and if that sloth is staying completely still, it just looks like a termite nest or a mound of leaves and allows them to stay camouflaged to hide from predators. Being primarily nocturnal, the two-toed sloth spends its nights foraging for leaves and fruits under the cover of darkness. While the three-toed sloth is a day creature, spending its time in the daylight, feasting on mainly leaves. As for Cookie and Caramel, at the tender age of just a few months, their diet consists of primarily milk. Aw, look at that. Cookie is fast asleep after her morning of goat's milk. I have done some amazing things in my life but nothing tops feeding the adorable baby sloths. I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave, stay wild. We'll see you on the next adventure. For Cookie and Caramel, the future looks bright and in just a few months, they should be back in the treetops living the sloth life. However, there are many other animals at Alturas that also need the same amount of love and care. For those that cannot return to the rainforest, this incredible facility becomes a permanent home where they are cared for each and every day by an incredible staff of animal experts. Do you dream of feeding a baby sloth? If so, I have good news. The Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary is constantly welcoming new volunteers to help with the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of Costa Rica's beautiful animals. For more information on how you can become a part of the team visit their website, alturaswildlifesanctuary.org. If you thought these sloths were cute, make sure to check out the morning I spent having breakfast with a baby toucan. And don't forget, subscribe to join me and the crew on this season of Breaking Trail.