DeMystifyig the Sloth- brought to you by Claire:
Another silly sloth question!
Do sloths have venom sacs in their mouths? I heard that if they bite you, you die.
When I heard the question about sloths and the venom sacs in their mouths, it was all I could do not to fall down laughing right on the spot. If that were true, everyone who works at the sanctuary would have to be classified as zombies. Sooner or later we all get bitten. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes it occurs.Sloths are the original pacifists and are rarely aggressive.
The sloths’ teeth are brown from staining tannins from their diet.
A sloths’ teeth look quite different from ours. Their teeth are brown. The reason for this is that their teeth do not have an enamel covering like ours do. As babies they have white teeth but as they get older their teeth get browner and browner. The leaves that they eat have tannins in them that “stain” their teeth. This may be part of the reason that people might mistake them for having a venom sac in their mouth. Their teeth don’t look like they are clean, but they are.
I’ve been bitten multiple times by baby sloths, but only once by an adult. Not only did I not get an infection but I don’t even have a scar! Their mouths are very clean. In fact, you’re much more likely to get germs from your husband, wife, girlfriend, or boyfriend than you are from a sloth. Have you kissed a sloth today? I have.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, you lucky! The sloths are fascinating creatures!
WE are lucky Maria! We love sloths and they are very fascinating and each one has its own personality.
Amazing
How about a daily sloth picture? Every time I have an opportunity, I tell strangers about your blog. But many of them and my friends are lamenting “Huh….So few pictures and videos?”. These creatures DESERVE better publicity!
Hi Cas,
We will try to post more pictures and videos. Thanks for the comments/feedback and for visiting our blog.
I can speak with some authority to this question. A year ago, one of the babies bit my little finger clear to the bone. Not only is my finger still attached to my hand, I am still alive and kicking.
No venom. In fact, even though the finger bled like nobody’s business, no infection.
And, despite Claire’s best attempts at getting the sloth to apologize, he did not.
Here’s what you can expect: No venom, no infection, no apology.
Hi, I was just wondering about Sebastian and Violet. How are they doing? I haven’t seen anything about them other than their first video. Thanks!
I want to kiss a sloth today.