The Ecosystem in a Sloth's Fur

Gorgona Island, off the coast of Colombia, once functioned as a prison, but is now a national park. It is the home of a unique subspecies of brown-throated sloth that moves even slower than other sloths, providing an opportunity for other species, namely algae and moths, to team up with a sloth for a three-way symbiotic relationship. This is all well and good for the sloth, moths, and algae, but scientists are studying this rather filthy setup because it may have disease-prevention benefits for the sloth, which could be harnessed in some way for humans. -via Laughing Squid 

#sloth #symbiote #algae #moth


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