What is the slowest animal?
Three-toed sloths are often called the slowest mammals, moving about 2 meters a minute. Among all animals, garden snails, sea anemones and starfish can be even slower.
Three-toed sloths live in the rainforests of Central and South America and spend most of their lives hanging upside down in trees. They move slowly to save energy, covering only about 40 meters a day on average. They come down to the ground only about once a week to go to the bathroom.
A garden snail moves at about 1 millimeter per second, or about 50 meters per hour. Many starfish crawl at a similar pace. Some animals, like sea anemones and barnacles, barely move at all once they settle. The dwarf seahorse is one of the slowest fish, moving about 1.5 meters per hour.
Slow but successful
Being slow is not a weakness for these animals. Slow movement saves energy, and for sloths, it helps them avoid being noticed by predators like eagles. Many slow animals have other defenses, such as shells, spines or camouflage.
Did You Know?
Sloths are surprisingly good swimmers and can move about three times faster in water than on land.