#Sloth #Wildlife #toes #fingers #animals #perezoso #conservation #cute #nature #costarica slothconservation.org/sloth-o-pedia Sloths have long hook-like fingers and toes that allow them to hang suspended from a branch without using any energy. They can eat, sleep, and give birth in this position, sometimes even remaining like this after death. Sloths’ claws are actually formed by the elongated and curved distal phalange bones protruding from their limbs. These bones are covered by a sheath of the same material that makes up our fingernails and hair (keratin). The nail grows continuously. In wild sloths the length of their nails is maintained through constant use; the nail is worn down while the sloth is hanging and climbing. Captive sloths must have their nails trimmed regularly so that their fingers and toes do not become overgrown and disfigured. If they get broken or damaged, sloths can actually regrow their claws thanks to their low metabolic rate (in a similar way to when reptiles regrow their limbs). However, the claws will rarely regain their original shape, often growing back deformed. In the wild, this can put the sloth at a great disadvantage as their claws are vital for life in the canopy.