Slow Down! Good News Ahead Meet our Newest Animal Ambassador
We are sooooooo excited to introduuuuuce you to one of our neeeeeeeewestt Animal Ambssssssssadors–Linaaaaaaa.To help you get to know Lina, our NatureWorks Animal Handlers answered a few quick questions about this slow mover. What kind of sloth is Lina? Lina is a Linneaus’ Two-toed Sloth. There are two groups of sloths, two-toed and three-toed. Both types have three claws, or ‘toes’, on their hind limbs. You could call the ‘two-toed’ sloth the ‘two-fingered’ sloth as the difference between them can be found on their front limbs. How slow is Lina? The sloth’s nature allows it to conserve energy, moving slower than any other mammal on the planet. Sloths generally travel no more than 125 feet in a single day, and on the rare occasion that they find themselves at ground level, they crawl only one foot per minute. However, they can climb very quickly, and move up to three times faster when they swim! What does Lina like to eat? Lina likes to eat many types of leaves and vegetables, but her favorite snack is zucchini. Sloths have a very slow metabolism, and it can take several days to digest each meal. Due to their slow metabolisms, sloths typically only need to poop about once a week, which is the only time they will descend from the treetops. To avoid grounddwelling predators, these slow crawlers are very fast climbers.
How much time does Lina spend hanging around? Sloths spend approximately 90% of their lives hanging upside down. As a result, sloths have evolved and their organs are also upside down! Because their organs are attached to their rib cage, they don’t weigh down on the lungs. 10 SPRING 2021
How does Lina like Orlando Science Center? Lina loves her home and her Animal Handlers. She is great during her check-ups, will hold still while we put lotion on her feet or look in her ears and eyes. Sloth-care is very important. She also is very interested in bright colors, and sometimes gets distracted in a room with bright green or red walls. How can I meet Lina? Lina has been helping us prepare for our all-new, state-ofthe-art nature and conservation exhibit LIFE, which will open in 2022. She will live in the rainforest zone and hang around overhead for all Orlando Science Center guests to see when they visit. Until then, she will remain behind-the-scenes learning the ropes. To help her get accustomed to being around all of our Members when the new exhibit opens, she will be participating in our Private Experiences NatureWorks tours as a special animal ambassador! Learn more about these exclusive opportunities on the next page! *Please note, animal well-being is our top priority, so if Lina does not want to participate in that day’s private experiences, our staff will select another exciting animal ambassador for you to meet!
