Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Green algae growing in sloth fur provides camouflage and extra nutrients. The figure is taken from National Geographic, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a animals fact?

Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

A sloth fur hosts a whole ecosystem of algae and insects

Green algae growing in sloth fur provides camouflage and extra nutrients.

Sloth hair features special grooves that retain moisture, allowing green algae to thrive in its coat. This symbiotic relationship provides effective camouflage among tree canopies, and specialized moths also live in the fur, laying eggs in sloth dung when the sloth descends.

Bradypus photograph — Stefan Laube ( Tauchgurke ) · Public domain · source

Where this comes from

National Geographic

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Tags: sloth, rainforest, camouflage

A sloth fur hosts a whole ecosystem of algae and insects: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Green algae growing in sloth fur provides camouflage and extra nutrients. The figure is taken from National Geographic, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.