Brazil, the largest country in South America, is known for its impressive biocultural diversity. From the dense rainforests of the Amazon basin to the vast wetlands of the Pantanal, Brazil offers a rich variety of ecosystems and habitats. The flora ranges from an abundance of tropical plant species to endemic species in the various regions of the country. The wildlife is equally diverse, from exotic birds like the macaw and toucan to majestic mammals such as the jaguar and tapir. This biocultural diversity also shapes the way of life of Brazil's indigenous peoples, who are closely connected to nature and preserve traditional knowledge about the use and protection of the environment. Despite the challenges posed by deforestation, logging, and environmental pollution, Brazil's biocultural diversity remains a precious asset that needs to be protected and preserved.
This is supposed to show a sleeping ground sloth. It's fallen totally exhausted into a dream-filled sleep. It's already clear to me that a ground sloth hardly slept in such a position. This is called artistic freedom! I often sleep in similar position!😜
With their huge claws, these extinct representatives of the South American megafauna were able to dig impressive burrows. A particularly large burrow can be found, for example, in the Brazilian state of Rondonia. It consists of several tunnels with a total of 2,000 feet in length (around 600 meters) and was probably extended over several generations.
In the past, sloths were a very diverse group. There was even a semi-aquatic species in Peru that showed similarities to otters and beavers.
Some cryptozoologists think there may still be live ground sloths, somewhere in the Amazon. Basis for this assumption is a myth of the Carios, according to which a monster (the mapinguari) living in a cave on their tribal territory in the Brazilian rainforest. One may doubt and still dream. I suspect that only well-preserved remains were found in a cave (in fact, ancient fur remains have been discovered) and the rest was done with imagination.
