How does moving slowly help sloths conserve energy?

The sloth doesn't move slowly to conserve energy, it is designed to conserve energy, and that design means it moves slowly. For instance, it does not have much muscle mass; so unlike a monkey, which is grasping and clinging, a sloth is simply dangling on claws. read more

Sloths Conserve Energy - Sloths conserve energy by spending most of their time in trees, a big part of their diet. Learn how sloths conserve energy internally and externally. read more

This slow release of nutrients means that sloths have less energy to burn and therefore need to move slower in order to conserve what energy they have. Sloths' slow metabolism also means that the animals sleep for long periods of time. Sloths sleep up to 10 hours a day while in the wild and as much as 14 hours per day while in captivity. Sloths also have half the muscle mass of other similarly-sized animals. On the ground, sloths move by dragging themselves with their long arms. read more