History Main / SluggishSloths

This is actually TruthInTelevision; sloths have an extremely low metabolic rate, which leads to them moving at a languid, sluggish pace through the trees. Indeed, they, on average, travel 41 yards per day -- which is less than half the length of a football field. They are also cold-blooded, so they have to spend much if their time basking in the sunlight to warm up and save energy.

This is actually TruthInTelevision; sloths have an extremely low metabolic rate, which leads to them moving at a languid, sluggish pace through the trees. Indeed, they, on average, travel 41 yards per day -- which is less than half the length of a football field.

SubTrope of AnimalStereotype. If they're modified to go faster, then it becomes an example of the SpeedySnail. For another animal often portrayed in a similar manner, see SlowAndSteadyTurtles.

This is actually TruthInTelevision; sloths have an extremely low metabolic rate, which leads to them moving at a languid, sluggish pace through the trees. Indeed, they, on average, travel 41 yards per day - which is less than half the length of a football field.

SubTrope of AnimalStereotype. If they're modified to go faster, then it becomes an example of the SpeedySnail.

* {{Discussed| trope}} in ''Film/AguirreTheWrathOfGod'' when the title character finds one on the side of the Amazon:

* ''VideoGame/TheMagicSchoolBus'': ''Explores the Rainforest'' has two in-game cartoons that emphasize the sluggishness of sloths. In one cartoon, a pair of sloths are playing Go-Fish, and it takes ''a whole day'' for one of them to even speak, and it ends with a ToBeContinued. In the other, a sloth is shown sleeping through an interview about a fallen tree.

''VideoGame/TheMagicSchoolBus'': ''Explores the Rainforest'' has two in-game cartoons that emphasize the sluggishness of sloths. In one cartoon, a pair of sloths are playing Go-Fish, and it takes ''a whole day'' for one of them to even speak, and it ends with a ToBeContinued. In the other, a sloth is shown sleeping through an interview about a fallen tree.

* ''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'': In the episode "Hakuna Matata U.", the duo start a school teaching Hakuna Matata, and their onlt students are a nerdy owl and a sloth that does nothing but sleep. Timon chooses the sloth as his student and quickly views him as a prodigy. At the end, the sloth does not attend the graduation, because he ''rolled in his sleep and somehow ended up on a plane.''

* ''Manga/SetonAcademyJoinThePack'': Myubi the sloth girl takes this UpToEleven, as any sort of exertion will cause her to ''die''. [[TheyKilledKennyAgain Don't worry, she'll be fine]].

->'''Riley:''' [[LampshadeHanging A sloth? That's about as laid-back as you can get]]!

This extends to their naming. Their German name is Faultier, ("lazy animal"), whilst its name is old English for "Slow".

* ''Series/WalkingWithBeasts'': Played with in the episode "Saber Tooth". The Megatherium, an elephant sized beast and the largest known species of sloth, moves about as quickly as any large mammalian herbivore at walking speed; not that it really matters, as their sheer size makes them practically invulnerable to predation. However, when a [[ArtisticLicenseBiology Megatherium challenges the Smilodon pride over a carcass]], one of the pair of male Smilodons leading the pride attempts to scare it off. The Megatherium answers by striking the male hard and fast enough that the Smilodon was unable to leap out of the way in time, and as a result was killed instantly. The rest of the Smilodon wisely decide to back off and yield their kill afterwards.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': The interdimensional megastore Quest Buy is staffed by anthropomorphic sloths, who are lazy, unmotivated and entirely unhelpful to customers. [[KillerRabbit Don't get them mad, though.]]

-> "A sloth? That's about as laid-back as you can get!"

* ''Series/WalkingWithBeasts'': Played with in the episode "Saber Tooth". The Megatherium, an elephant sized beast and the largest known species of sloth, moves about as quickly as any large mammalian herbivore at walking speed; not that it really matters, as their sheer size makes them practically invulnerable to predation. However, when a Megatherium challenges the Smilodon pride over a carcass, one of the pair of male Smilodons leading the pride attempts to scare it off. The Megatherium answers by striking the male hard and fast enough that the Smilodon was unable to leap out of the way in time, and as a result was killed instantly. The rest of the Smilodon wisely decide to back off and yield their kill afterwards.

A fairly common stereotype of sloths in fiction is to depict them as slow, somewhat stupid and sleepy. This extends to them being depicted as quite the LazyBum or TheSlacker, with some more nuanced portrayals of them depicting them as BrilliantButLazy. They may also have a habit of speaking very slowly. They may be used to show [[SlowerThanASnail that a character is going so slow, that even they outpace the character]]. The point is that compared to other animals, they're a bit slow on the uptake.

SubTrope of AnimalStereotype. If they're modified to go faster, than it becomes an example of the SpeedySnail.

This extends to their naming. Their German name is Faultier, ("lazy animal"), whilst it's name is old English for "Slow".

[[folder: Films -- Animated]]

* ''WebVideo/SuperMarioLogan'': In "ChicKEN!", Cody invents a ray gun that can turn anything into a random animal. When Bowser Junior zaps Chef Pee Pee with it, the ray turns him into a sloth, causing him to talk incredibly slow.

* ''WebVideo/SuperMarioLogan'': In "Chicken!", Cody invents a ray gun that can turn anything into a random animal. When Bowser Junior zaps Chef Pee Pee with it, the ray turns him into a sloth, causing him to talk incredibly slow.

[[folder: Literature]]