Description

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A richly illustrated cultural and natural history of the lethargic animal—from prehistoric ancestry to modern-day memes.
 
Sloths are perhaps the most recognized and loved Central and South American animals, but they are not well understood. This book offers a colorful and wide-ranging biological and cultural history of these fascinating mammals. Alan Rauch explores how today’s lethargic sloths evolved from gigantic prehistoric ancestors and earned their deadly, sinful names. In praise of both these beautiful creatures and their status as icons of a stress-free life, this book shows just how fascinating, engaging, and (more often than not) inspiring these animals can be.

About the Author

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Alan Rauch is professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Praise For…

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"In this amusing and informative entry in Reaktion's Animal series, Rauch explores the behavior, anatomy, and evolution of sloths . . . This is chock-full of trivia . . . and the copious photos of sloths in their natural habitat delight. Animal lovers will be entranced."
— Publishers Weekly

"As a sloth expert, I rarely read things about sloths that I didn’t already know. However, Rauch’s coverage of all things sloth, including the extinct giant species and historical references throughout time and cultures, had me genuinely fascinated. I also appreciated the continued emphasis on responsible sloth tourism throughout the book and awareness raised about their threats and conservation efforts."
— Sam Trull, co-founder and director of the Sloth Institute, Costa Rica

"A well-woven story on sloths that is as engaging and entertaining as it is educational. Wonderfully erudite and richly illustrated, this work is not just an excellent summary of the natural history of sloths but integrates a cultural-historical perspective of sloths in a way that I have not seen done before. Rauch does a good job describing the complexities surrounding our fascination with sloths over the centuries vis-à-vis our incomplete understanding of these curious creatures and the conservation challenges and needs that they have had to face on our changing planet. A delightful read filled with fun facts and observations that are bundled together and found consolidated nowhere else, I highly recommended this volume. This is great addition to the literature on these enigmatic and charismatic creatures."
— Erik F. Y. Hom, University of Mississippi