Should i get a sloth

Also, strap big lettuce leaves and greens around the enclosure and on branches where the sloth likes to hang out. Find an exotics vet in your area who will treat your sloth. Sloths in captivity are susceptible to nutritional issues, digestive problems, respiratory problems, and physical injuries. Dietary issues are the most prevalent issue since it is quite challenging to replicate a sloth's natural diet in captivity.

Other states may allow sloths, but their state laws do not explicitly state it. Other states may issue permits to own a pet sloth, but that will only be for the pet owner at one address. Some laws ban boarding sloths, crossing state lines with them, and other restrictions. Contact your state and local officials to verify if it is legal for you to own, board, or transport a two-toed sloth where you live. The illegal pet trade also captures wild specimens for selling, which is unlawful, and also attempts to sell three-toed sloths, which do not live well in captivity.

If this will be your first sloth, you should not look for anything other than a captive-bred baby. Steer clear of adult sloths as they are usually unsocialized or may be wild-caught. Both do not do well in captivity.

Despite their rise in popularity, there are very few legal breeding facilities where you can purchase a two-toed sloth; it might be a bit difficult since they are so rare to find, but they are available.

Sometimes exotic pet stores sell them, which is often a questionable source. An exotics pet broker will likely be your best way to find one. Seek a seller who proactively gives you a lot of information about the animal and ask a lot of questions about you and your suitability to care for a sloth. Some sellers may not even sell to you if you are not a zoo or registered with the U.

Department of Agriculture. If you are interested in pet sloths, check out:. Otherwise, check out other exotic animals that can be your new pet. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. They are wild animals that live in the tropical forests of South and Central America.

They live most of their lives hanging upside down in trees. A sloth generally sleeps about 20 hours each day. On average, they are about the size of a small dog. They can weigh up to 17 pounds and grow to be 2. However, they merely have an extremely low metabolism. They only come down from their trees about once a week to go to the bathroom. Also, a sloth can become quite fierce when threatened. Sloths have sharp teeth and claws. When attacked or threatened, they can do a lot of damage to a predator or a person.

Sloths are also solitary animals. They do not require nor like attention. They do not like being held or played with like other pets. Owning a pet sloth is a considerable obligation. They require a special diet and habitat, and they can live in captivity for more than 20 years. You may also find it difficult to locate a veterinarian in your area that will provide care for a sloth. While sloths can make good pets for some people, there are a number of drawbacks to keeping one. As with other exotic pets, they are expensive to obtain, may be illegal in some places and may require special licenses and permits.

Depending on the species, they may have special dietary requirements and specialist veterinary care is likely to be very expensive, making costly exotic pet insurance advisable. Since they are also typically slow moving, they are fairly easy to keep track of and do not tend to try to escape or run away. Although they can make sounds, they are not generally noisy and are very unlikely to engage in destructive behavior, such as scratching furniture or chewing up clothes or cushions.

The fact that they are generally very clean animals that are comfortable living in the house once they have gotten used to it also makes sloths attractive as pets. The disadvantages of owning a pet sloth, however, are often substantial enough to discourage most people from purchasing one. They are exotic animals that are often difficult to buy legally, so the purchase price is likely to be very high. There is the possibility that the pet may become ill and require highly specialized veterinary care, which could be extremely costly.

This makes exotic pet insurance very advisable; it may, in fact, be a legal requirement in some places. Even if a sloth can be purchased and kept legally, many establishments, such as hotels, pet boarding facilities and apartments, will not allow them because they are considered exotic pets. There are two main types of sloth — two-toed and three-toed — which belong to different families. Within these categories, there are four species of three-toed sloths and two species of the two-toed variety, giving six in total.

The names refer to the number of toes on the forelimbs; all species have three toes on their hind legs. The three-toed forms have more specialized diets, involving particular species of plants, supplemented by bugs.