Ben Madilynn
Pandas often appear sedentary, especially when eating, and given their vulnerable status, they’re largely seen as relaxed creatures. But giant pandas can be skilled tree-climbers and efficient swimmers, so they must be mindful of their diet. A typical panda needs to eat about 28 pounds of bamboo for nearly half the day to satisfy its daily dietary needs.
—Emily Martin, digital producer
Three-toed sloths
Sloths are the epitome of demure.
Mindful is their middle name as the cuddly creature is known for its calm, cool, and collected composure. They aren’t flashy or loud like other animals, but their solitary lifestyle has allowed them to survive for the past 65 million years. Three-toed sloths enjoy the little thing in life, such as eating leaves and sleeping for about 15 hours a day. While they have razor sharp claws measuring in at about three inches long, these gentle animals only use them in self-defense.
Have you heard slow and steady wins the race? Yeah, give the three-toed sloths their gold metal. Their slow motion movements allow them to be outsmart to predators such as hawks and big cats that rely on their sight to hunt prey. Sloths can also use the algae that grows on their skin as camouflage in the tropical forest.
