#sloth week

[94monkeys]

A funny thing happened during savasana

Last night I went to a yoga class and felt very creaky, but all right. In the waning minutes of savasana there were a number of loud thumps and bangs on the ceiling above us... first irregular, then coalescing into a steadily increasing beat. I was reminded of the time my sister and I were jumping up and down in our room because we were so excited school was starting (ah, youth) and my dad said it sounded like “a herd of elephants.” I completely lost my Zen and started wondering about whether I should get into some kind of brace position. 

As I was leaving the receptionist said “I’m so sorry about all the noise from the battle ropes.” There’s another fitness studio upstairs. Just relieved that the roof wasn’t caving in, but the timing could have been better. 

This morning I put on all my running clothes and then... just walked because I’m sore. I walked around 2.2 miles (measured x Fitbit) listening to podcasts. Suddenly it’s 62 and light out at 5AM; what’s up with that?

[mad-willy]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVLbgiUtgyg)

@artismyhammer, this is one of the squee-inducing videos I mentioned.

[smithsonianlibrariesarchives]

Bonus GIF: When sloths play tag.

Musei Leveriani explicatio, anglica et latina [London] :Impensis Jacobi Parkinson,1792-1796. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29568732

[fieldmuseumphotoarchives]

Fossil Friday, giant ground sloth. It's Sloth Week and what better way to celebrate these awesome animals then a photo of one of their giant ancestors! These guys could weigh up to 4 tonnes and measure up to 6 m (20 ft) in length from head to tail.

© The Field Museum, GEO79568.

Megatherium, Giant Ground Sloth, skeleton for Hall 38. Progress in prep area on third or fourth floor.

8x10 Interpositive

1938 

[smithsonianlibrariesarchives]

Sloth Facts:

Though they spend most of their lives in trees, sloths are in fact good swimmers.

Sloths are the number one on the list of illegally traded pets from Colombia.

There are six species of sloths, belong in two families: Megalonychidae (two-toed sloth) and Bradypodidae (three-toed sloth). 

While they have a reputation for sleeping 16 hours a day, that seems to only happen in captivity. In the wild, they average just under 10 hours.

Sloth hair might treat cancer and yield other medical benefits.

Sloths are rad. Hopefully you enjoyed our coverage of sloth week. And a hearty welcome to all the new followers!

Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library, via their awesome Flickr site. The book is Locupletissimi rerum laturalium thesauri accurata descriptio... (translated as "Accurate description of the very rich thesaurus of the principal and rarest natural objects") published 1734-65 by Albertus Seba. It was contributed by the Missouri Botanical Garden.

[folklings]

It’s sloth week! Time to sloth-ings down Sloths are an internet sensation. With their strange smiling faces, lethargic movements and awkward apparent friendliness this elusive species has become the most popular animal on the planet.

[smithsonianlibrariesarchives]

For Sloth week - Mama sloth and baby (awwwwwww.)

From Abbildungen zur Naturgeschichte Brasiliens

[haikumonster]

I love sloths!!