In their natural habitat, sloths use dew drops on leaves as their water source. Thanks to internet memes and viral videos, sloths are increasingly desired as pets. As mentioned, sloths should remain in their enclosure almost all the time. They also sleep around 20 hours a day and are generally averse to petting or grooming. Because of their nature and sleeping habits, they might not be the best company on a day-to-day basis.
Domestic atmospheres can be stressful for sloths. They do not exhibit outward signs of stress, so pet owners have no way of knowing if their behavior is causing the sloth distress. Sloths can live for up to 30 years. Owning a pet sloth is an immense commitment and should be reserved for highly-experienced exotic pet owners. You should be prepared to devote several hours a week to its care even after the novelty wears off. So, if your pet sloth scratches, bites , or attacks someone, you could be on the hook for their medical bills, lost wages, emotional distress, and other damages.
Buying a Sloth If you are intent on getting a sloth, try to get one that is still young and was bred in captivity. Due to their exotic nature, it will be very difficult to find veterinary care for a sloth. You can search for exotic vets via LocalVets. Sloths suffer from several problems related to captivity, particularly in regard to their diet and proper climate conditions.
These include:. A retrospective study of one zoo in Brazil looked at sloth health problems over the course of 20 years and found that Another consideration is to figure out who can take care the sloth in the event you go away on vacation or need to leave town for other reasons, as it is not likely that a boarding facility will be available.
It's hard enough to provide proper care for an adult sloth but with a baby sloth, you'll find yourself needing to bottle feed and hand feed your sloth regularly if they're under one year of age. Zoo keepers report that one single feeding can take up a lot of time as everything with sloths is slow and you'll need to do this four times a day or every two hours with an infant. You'll also need to work to acclimate the baby to captivity with the added stress of not having a mother which can lead to further behavior problems and a weakened immune system.
Baby sloths cling to their mothers and rely on them for their care, and infants will have a difficult time thriving without one. If you are truly prepared to commit to caring for a sloth, the legality of owning a sloth, and finding a reputable resource to get one, will be the final determining factors in the decision to own one.
There are many county, state, and federal regulations on exotic pet ownership. Some states make it completely illegal to own an exotic pet, while others require permits or licenses. Before you get your pet sloth, make sure you contact the following:. Don't forget to contact your local Animal Control. They will be able to help you with local laws, requirements and permits specific to your county or town. There are not many legal sloth-breeding establishments.
The likelihood of indirectly helping the illegal sloth trade is high as it's impossible to tell if the sloth you are getting was obtained illegally. In general, sloths do not make good pets due to their sensitive stomachs, specialized diet, hard-to-find veterinary care, and their need for a warm, humid habitat with plenty of high branches or hammocks from which to sleep, eat, and hang out.
If you are just dazzled by their cuteness, consider joining the Sloth Appreciation Society instead. Are Sloths Dangerous? Do Sloths Bite? 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. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors.
In This Article Expand. Behavior and Temperament. Food and Water. Health Problems. Similar Pets. Featured Video.
Related Topics. Small Pets. Read More. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for TheSprucePets. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. Facing criminal charges is always difficult. Ensuring compliance with state laws concerning exotic pets can be a minefield of regulation and red tape.
An experienced attorney can help an owner deal with the legal hurdles of keeping a sloth. Sloth veterinary care may be difficult to find. Before purchasing a sloth, it is wise to make sure that veterinary care is close at hand. A sloth owner will need to present their permit to a vet who will be caring for their sloth.
Like any animal, it may bite or claw a person or other animal in your home. It may escape and harm another. Generally, sloths move slowly, but they can and do move quickly when it is necessary. A sloth may bite or claw which could leave infection or scarring, depending on the injury. Some policies have standard exclusions for injuries caused by exotic or wild animal pets.
It is wise to check your insurance policy before getting a pet sloth. The same is true if the sloth escapes and causes property damage.
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