Scientists propose that the three-toed sloth’s risky bathroom behavior is governed by mutualisms with moths and algae.

The moths spend their entire adult lives in the sloth fur. When they die, they stay in the fur and get broken down by the organisms growing there, such as the algae.

It’s well documented that the thick coats of sloths provide a nutrient-rich, well-sheltered home for a range of algae and insects, including the ‘sloth moth,’ Cryptoses Choloepi.

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