The average sloth weighs only a little more than the average human baby, but sloths occur in six distinct species (spread across two different families), and therefore variation in size is definitely bound to occur.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about the weight of sloth. You’ll learn how much each species of sloths weigh on average, as well as the range mass of a new born sloth.
In the end, you’ll learn how sloths stack up (in size) against their forefathers that existed millions of years ago.
How much do sloths weigh in kg and pound?
First, before anything else, you must know that the modern day group of sloths is split into two families namely:
- Two fingered sloth (those having only two claws on their forelimbs)
- Three toed sloth (those having only three claws on their forelimbs)
- And then the quadquintsept fingered sloths. Those having abnormal count of claws on their limbs. We’re just joking! But they do exist.
… and six species spread across these two families; 2 of two fingered sloths and 4 of three fingered variety namely:
Two fingered species (Choloepodidae)
- Hoffmans two fingered sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni)
- Linneaus’s two fingered sloths (Choloepus didactylus)
Three fingered species (Bradypodidae)
- Brown-throated three fingered sloths (Bradypus variegatus)
- Maned three fingered sloths (Bradypus torquatus)
- Pale throated three fingered sloths (Bradypus tridactylus)
- Pygmy three fingered sloths (Bradypus pygmaeus)
The two families differ marginally in external size morphology and the six distinct species of all families (on their own), also have variations in size among a few other things. Below is the general range span of sloths and under it is a more detailed look at the weight of each species of sloth.
- Adult sloths typically weigh between 2.5 kg to 8 kg (5.5 lb to 17.63 lb). That’s roughly the range mass of an adult Canada goose.
How much do two toed sloths weigh in kg and pounds?
For the first time, two is greater than three. That happens to be the case with the modern group of sloths.
The two fingered varieties are generally bigger, heavier (and much more aggressive) than their three fingered counterparts.
Two fingered sloths basically have two fingers on each forelimbs, whereas three fingered sloths have only three fingers on each forelimbs.
In contrast to this nomenclature however, both families of sloths possess three fingers on each rear limb, and sometimes genetic mutation may even produce oddities.
Average weight of a two toed sloth
- The average weight of a two toed sloth is 5 kg.
- The average weight of a male two toed sloth is 7 kg.
- The average weight of a female two toed sloth is 4 kg.
How much do Hoffmann’s two toed sloths weigh in kg and pounds?
Males:
- Male hoffmann’s two toed sloths weigh between 6 kg to 8 kg.
- In pounds, male hoffmann’s two toed sloths weigh between
Females:
- Female hoffmann’s two toed sloth weigh between 4 kg to 7 kg.
- In pounds, female hoffmann’s two toed sloth weigh between
Average:
- The average weight of a male hoffmann’s two toed sloth is 7 kg.
- The average weight of a female hoffmann’s two toed sloth is 4 kg.
- The average weight of a hoffmann’s two toed sloth is 5 kg.
Overall:
- The total range mass of a hoffmann’s two toed sloth is 4 to 8 kg which is roughly the range mass of an adult pug.
- In pounds the total range mass of a hoffmann’s two toed sloth is
How much do Linneaus’s two toed sloth weigh in kg and pound?
Males:
- Male Linneaus’s two toed sloths weigh between 6 kg to 8 kg.
- In pounds, male Linneaus’s two toed sloths weigh between
Females:
- Female Linneaus’s two toed sloth weigh between 4 kg to 7 kg.
- In pounds, female Linneaus’s two toed sloth weigh between
Average:
- The average weight of a male Linneaus’s two toed sloth is 7 kg.
- The average weight of a female Linneaus’s two toed sloth is 4 kg.
- The average weight of a Linneaus’s two toed sloth is 5 kg.
Overall:
- The total range mass of a Linneaus’s two toed sloth is 4 to 8 kg which is roughly the range mass of an adult pug.
- In pounds the total range mass of a Linneaus’s two toed sloth is
How much do three toed sloth weigh in kg and pounds?
Three toed sloths are the smallest of the two bunch. They exist in four different species.
Average weight of a three toed sloth
- The average weight of a three toed sloth is 3 kg.
- The average weight of a male three toed sloth is 4 kg.
- The average weight of a female three toed sloth is 2.5 kg
- The total range mass is between 2.5 to 6 kg.
How much do brown throated three fingered sloths weigh in kg and pounds?
The brown throated three fingered sloth resembles the Pygmy species. Size difference between males and females is negligible.
General:
- Brown throated three toed sloths weigh between 3.5 kg to 5 kg.
- In pounds, male brown throated three toed sloths weigh between
Average:
- The average weight of a brown throated three toed sloth is 4.5 kg.
How much do pale throated three toed sloths weigh in kg and pounds?
Females of this specie appear much larger and heavier than their male counterparts.
Males:
- Male pale throated three toed sloths weigh between 2.25 kg to 4 kg.
- In pounds, male pale throated three toed sloths weigh between
Females:
- Female pale throated three toed sloth weigh between 3 kg to 5 kg.
- In pounds, female pale throated three two toed sloth weigh between
Average:
- The average weight of a male pale throated three toed sloth is 2.5 kg.
- The average weight of a female pale throated three toed sloth is 3.5 kg.
- The average weight of a pale throated three toed sloth is 3 kg.
Overall:
- The total range mass of a pale throated three toed sloth is 2.25 to 5 kg.
- In pounds the total range mass of a pale throated three toed sloth is
How much do pygmy sloths weigh in kg and pounds?
They are the smallest of the six species of sloths and their population is currently listed as “critically endangered” due to habitat loss from human activities. Difference in size between males and females is negligible in this species.
General:
- Pygmy three toed sloths weigh between 2.5 kg to 3.5 kg.
- In pounds, pygmy three toed sloths weigh between
Average:
- The average weight of a pygmy three toed sloth is 3 kg.
How much do maned three toed sloths weigh in kg and pounds?
Their name stems from the fact that they have long manes like those of lions. They are currently listed as ‘vulnerable’ due to habitat loss from industrialization and agricultural activities.
Maned specie of sloths are considered to be the most elusive and aggressive of the three fingered family. Females of this species are considerable larger and much heavier than their male counterparts (with an obvious overlap).
Maned species are the largest of the three toed sloths. Specimens living in lower altitudes are considerably smaller compared to the higher dwelling ones.
Males:
- Male maned three toed sloths weigh between 3.6 kg to 4 kg.
- In pounds, male maned three toed sloths weigh between
Females:
- Female maned three toed sloth weigh between 4.4 kg to 6 kg.
- In pounds, female maned three three two toed sloth weigh between
Average:
- The average weight of a male maned three toed sloth is 4 kg.
- The average weight of a female maned three toed sloth is 5 kg.
- The average weight of a maned three toed sloth is 4.5 kg.
Overall:
- The total range mass of a maned three toed sloth is 3.6 to 6 kg.
- In pounds the total range mass of a maned three toed sloth is
Picture of all sloth species (for identification purpose)
How much do baby sloths weigh?
When they are born, baby sloths weigh an average of 400 g and stretch about 25 cm from head to toe. In comparison, that’s less the average size of one large papaya fruit!
The manned sloth often give birth to babies weighing only 300g!
The truth about the weight of sloths
It’s a common knowledge that sloths have the slowest metabolic rates among all living mammals, and as a result, their digestive system is extremely laggard.
Food takes ten times longer to pass through a sloth than it does through a cow, Montgomery and Sunquist (1978). Accordingly, this means that sloths survive on a constantly full stomach and take relatively longer periods to visit the bathroom.
Sloths defecate only once in a week, and when they do, it’s a massive reproduction. (Goffart 1971, p. 124), estimates that adult sloths loose up to one fourth of their total body weight after a healthy scat.
It is even observed that more than half of the total body weight of a sloth is made up entirely of food, waste and digestive organs; the stomach and its content of course, accounting for 20 to 30 percent of the sloths entire body weight. Such enormous centre of digestion is necessary to store up some of the extra leaves and shoots they may consume prior to digestion.
If you were to imagine a sloth with a full bowel content prior to defecation, then it would record an outstanding two pound loss post defecation!
Ancient sloths were much bigger
Dating back to ancient times, the general group known today as sloths were much more diverse and widespread. Fossil records have estimated about 50 different sloth species spread across eight different families.
A certain group called Megatherium under the Megatheriidae family, were known to consist of giant ground sloths that rivaled the size of modern elephants and grew as tall as 6 meters from head to tail.
They went into extinction about few million years ago, but are widely recognized as the reason why avocados still exist today! (They ate the fruits and dispersed the seed in their feaces far and wide to places they travelled)
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Cite this Article ” (APA Format)
Bunu. M. (2020, March 30). Sloth Weight: How much do sloths weigh?. Retrieved from http://emborawild.com/how-much-do-sloths-weigh/