Sloths R Us

Scientists can't get sloth to move

Wed Jan 24, 11:46 AM ET

JENA, Germany - Scientists in the eastern German city of Jena said Wednesday they have finally given up after three years of failed attempts to entice a sloth into budging as part of an experiment in animal movement.

The sloth, named Mats, was remanded to a zoo after consistently refusing to climb up and then back down a pole, as part of an experiment conducted by scientists at the University of Jena's Institute of Systematic Zoology and Evolutionary Biology.

Neither pounds of cucumbers nor plates of homemade spaghetti were appetizing enough to make Mats move.

"Mats obviously wanted absolutely nothing to do with furthering science," said Axel Burchardt, a university spokesman.

Mats' new home is the zoo in the northwestern city of Duisburg where, according to all reports, he is very comfortable. - Associated Press

Ah, poor little sloth named Mats did not want to move. Who the hell can blame him? With weather like this and a January funk lurking in the air, I vote for sticking to the trees!

Here are some fun facts about sloths, further proving the fact that sloths and deadbeats have a lot in common:

• In terms of their sleep, sloths are one of the most somnolent animals ever known, sleeping from 15 to 18 hours each day.

• Sloths move only when necessary and then very slowly: they have about half as much muscle tissue as other animals of similar weight.

• While they sometimes sit on top of branches, they usually eat, sleep, and even give birth hanging from limbs. They sometimes die and still continue to hang from the trees.
  

• On the ground their maximum speed is 5 feet per minute. They mostly move at 0.5 - 1 foot per minute.
  
  
• They come to the ground, to urinate and defecate, only about once a week.

Sloth facts from Wikipedia

Thanks to the Lovely Linkmeister Lani for the link!