Pale-throated sloth
| Pale-throated sloth | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Pilosa |
| Family: | Bradypodidae |
| Genus: | Bradypus |
| Species: | B. tridactylus |
| Binomial name | |
| Bradypus tridactylus | |
| Pale-throated sloth range | |
The pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus), occasionally known as the ai (/ˈɑːi/), is a species of three-toed sloth that inhabits tropical rainforests in northern South America.
It is similar in appearance to, and often confused with, the brown-throated sloth, which has a much wider distribution. Genetic evidence has been interpreted to suggest the two species diverged only around 400,000 years ago, although the most recent evidence indicates the split was closer to 6 million years.