iNat user @agonzalo photographed a Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth giving birth in Panama, and it’s our Observation of the Week!
“The story of the picture of the sloth giving birth is based on applying a basic equation,” explains Aitor Gonzalo. “perseverance plus extreme LUCK!
I didn't see the full delivery. I heard a loud screech that caught my attention and managed to see the sloth at a distance of about 150 meters. Through the camera I could see that the mother was manipulating the newborn but at the moment everything was very confusing for me. In the photos you can understand better what was happening.
While his primary interest is birds, Aitor says “I never miss the chance to photograph sloths, monkeys, and other animals, alone or in company with their babies. Obviously, a birth in nature is to win the lottery.”
Famously slow-moving, three-toed sloths eat leaves and digest them at a sarlacc-like rate, sometimes taking 2 weeks to digest a meal! Sleeping in trees for about 16 hours a day, they make their way to the forest floor only once every 7-8 days in order to defecate, and as you can see they even give birth up in the treetops. Newborn sloths, like the one in Aitor’s photos, gestated for about seven months. It will spend the next five months or so clinging to its mother before it starts to climb on its own in earnest.
Aitor has always been interested in nature, but he credits his two daughters, Milena and Costanza, for his current “real real true passion for nature (I mean me as an already old guy and eager to go out and spend most day taking photographs).” One daughter has a PhD (earned in France) and studies soil microbes, while the other is studying Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning at UC-Davis in California. “Both of my daughters…
are passionate about nature, the environment, and its conservation and have discussed it with so much enthusiasm that it is extremely difficult not to get engaged. Moreover, both have been vegetarians for many years, and to challenge them and myself, I became vegan.
A regular iNat and eBird user, Aitor (above, with @ruthpierson and @claryliz) finds iNaturalist to be “an essential tool. It has everything. It helps you identify animals, it keeps records of everything, you can get statistics, it is interactive and user friendly. Besides, it is fun and challenging.”
- by Tony Iwane. Some quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and flow.
- Panama is part of the iNaturalist network!
- Sloths do swim - here is a pygmy three-toed sloth making its way across the water to look for a mate.
Comentarios
This is just - wow. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing, congratulations! Kudos to your entire family. I can't imagine how proud you are of your daughters.
WOW! That must be the observation of the year!! Congratulations!
What a fantastic event to witness!
I am speechless. This is amazing! Congratulation for being able to observe that and even take such pictures!
Fantastic! Great shots of the event. We all live for these moments.
I feel so privileged to have seen this. Much gratitude to the photographer for sharing these wonderful photos.
Wow, that is amazing. Must have been a privilege to see.
Such incredible luck -- and ability to act quickly and coolly in the moment! Good for you. Thank you for reminding us that nature is doing incredible things all the time.
These photos brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, Aitor, for posting them!
What a special moment to capture in a stunning photo! One can see the sloth mama’s tenderness with her newborn. Thank you so much for sharing.
Totally amazing and very moving too.
Fantastic photo and story!
Bravo and thank you for sharing.
Amazing, thank you!
Very beautiful shots! Realy touching! Thank you for sharing.
just fantastic!!!
Beautiful observation and photography! What great luck in being at the right place at the right time.
Oh man! One of the great benefits of using iNat is getting in on observations like this. Fabulous.
Almost everyday I enjoy seeing Aitor's great pictures. Thank you Aitor for being one of the best Panama iNaturalist. I just hope some of our close friends get inspired by you and please, do not stop sharing your amazing nature moments. You are the best!
Awesome. Though it does look a little like the mother is choking the newborn, even though that’s untrue, lol.
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