At a glance
- IUCN category
- VU · Vulnerable
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Sources disagree — IUCN's 2025 global assessment says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The maned three-toed sloth is a leaf-eating sloth named for the dark mane of hair around its neck and shoulders. It is assessed as Vulnerable.
It is found only in Brazil's threatened Atlantic Forest.
Range & habitat
Remnant Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Loss and fragmentation of Atlantic Forest
- Small, isolated populations
Why it matters
A slow, leaf-eating sloth restricted to the Atlantic Forest, the maned sloth is a flagship for one of the world's most fragmented biodiversity hotspots.
Sources
Sources for Maned Three-toed Sloth
- IUCN Red List — look up Maned Three-toed Sloth (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called the maned sloth?
Adults, especially males, have a distinctive mane of long dark hair around the neck and shoulders, unlike other three-toed sloths.
Why is the maned three-toed sloth Vulnerable?
Published assessments cite the loss and fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest and small, isolated populations. See the IUCN Red List.