Sloths, moths and algae team up together..., really?

  • Sloth with algae
Sloths aren't green, but covered in yummy algae
 

Why did the three-toed sloth leave the tree to go to the bathroom? That was the question asked by researchers in Costa Rica. It turns out, pyralid moths lay their eggs in sloth dung, which the sloth buries safely. The moth, in turn, encourages algae growth on the sloth’s fur, which the sloth then eats. Talk about teamwork!