Sloths are Camouflaged by Symbiotic Algae

What have you noticed and observed about sloths when seeing images or videos of them? How adorable are they? How sluggish are they? What about the question, "Hey, why are sloths green?" There is a symbiotic link between sloths and algae, therefore this color of green is truly algae, and it is there for a reason.

The internet adores sloths, the cute, sluggish South American animals that essentially do nothing. They shouldn't be fighting off any kind of onslaught, therefore it makes sense that they would need some sort of defensive camouflage. Algae now comes into play.

You may have observed that the fur of older sloths has a green tint. They truly do a great job of blending into the foliage of the trees in which they live because of the algae that is actually developing on their backs.

This form of camouflage is symbiotic, unlike most others. The sloth gets to blend in and receives nutrients from the algae through its skin, while the algae gets water from the sloth's fur and ultimately a safe place to dwell.