At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The pygmy three-toed sloth is a dwarf sloth found only on one small island off Panama. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
It is smaller than mainland sloths, an example of island dwarfism, and lives among the island's mangroves.
Range & habitat
A single small island, Isla Escudo de Veraguas, off Panama.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- An extremely tiny island range
- Habitat disturbance
- A very small population
Why it matters
A dwarf sloth marooned on a single island, the pygmy three-toed sloth is a flagship for the fragility of island endemics with nowhere else to go.
Sources
Sources for Pygmy Three-toed Sloth
- IUCN Red List — look up Pygmy Three-toed Sloth (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the pygmy three-toed sloth so small?
It lives only on a small island and is smaller than its mainland relatives — an example of 'island dwarfism', where isolated populations evolve smaller body sizes.
Why is it Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite its extremely tiny range on a single island, habitat disturbance, and a very small population. See the IUCN Red List for the current assessment.
Last updated: