Think of a dried coconut. Its resemblance to the head of this sloth – the much-commented collared sloth – is striking. Found in the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, the feature most obvious physics is the head. It reminds us of a coconut because of its hair, which is rough and brown, as well as fuller than that of Northeastern sloths. Discover more about newly discovered sloths.
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Southeastern Collared Sloth
Until the first day of October, there were only five species of sloth in Brazil: the common sloth, the Hoffmann sloth, the royal sloth, the bentinho sloth and the collar sloth. However Brazilian Flávia Miranda differentiated a new type in the last species. The one that is already known to be restricted to Bahia and Sergipe. The new species is found only in the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo.
For this reason, it is classified as endemic, that is, it is found only in a specific location, as it rarely migrates or adapts to other environments. Therefore, it is possible to differentiate between species such as the northeastern collared sloth – which was already known – and “southeastern” collared sloth that is differentiated only in October 2022, after the publication of an article scientific.
What does the study say?
About four years ago, the study began to be produced by researchers from different areas and from different universities. The Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) and Virginia Tech (North American University) were the main ones involved in the production of the article and differentiation of species.
As early as 1850, researcher Gray had already pointed out differences between the mammals of the Southeast and Northeast, which were separated by the Mucuri River and the Doce River. Continuing the investigative line, the scientists used genetic, geographic and morphometric research tools to look for distinctions between the species.
Main differences between them
In addition to the contrast in anatomy and the phenotypic appearance of the sloths' heads, divergences were found in the genetic material, skeleton and skull of both. These differences are to be expected, as they have been separated by about five million years.
There are also differences in coats, although this divergence still needs more samples and comparisons to be confirmed. For this, it is necessary to invest in techniques of conservation and protection of the species, after all, they are classified as "vulnerable" especially due to the loss and fragmentation of their habitat.