Slow and Steady Does Win the Race!

 
~A quick, fun overview of how reduced metabolic rates and a few lazy traits actually help some Arboreals survive in the wild.~

When it comes to Tree-Dwelling mammals, life in the jungle can be pretty rough. In an environment where anything can happen that might threaten a species, coping with dangers and fighting to survive is the key. Often, animals use their natural agility and speed – owing to normal or high metabolic rates – to escape from life-threatening situations. However, not all believe in the need for speed. Many mammals have figured out a way to crack the stereotype by taking a chill pill and actually surviving just as efficiently, thanks to a slowed metabolic rate and, most interestingly, some lazy habits. Yes, you heard it right. We all know that the Cheetah is the fastest animal on earth. But have you ever wondered which is the slowest one? That title is bagged by the Three-Toed Sloth by a huge margin.

 Found in the Central and South American continent, this mammal can be considered the epitome of slowness. Folivora, as they are scientifically called, Sloths spend most of their lives in the trees hanging upside down from the branches or simply lying on the bough lazily. Sloths are so slow that moss can be seen growing on their fur! Disgusting? Well, probably. But scientists argue that Sloths deliberately let moss and algae grow on their bodies. Sloths can’t help being slow and lazy and thus, they are just sitting ducks (or let’s say, ‘sleeping’ ducks) for attackers and predators. Moss on their body helps Sloths to camouflage well with the rainforest they inhabit. But that’s not all. Sloths show an extremely slow rate of metabolism. Needless to say, they have an extremely slow rate of digestion. This allows the Sloth to feed voraciously on almost any type of leaves – even poisonous – as the slow rate of digestion helps in assimilating the food very properly and thus, no harm is caused to the animal. In other words, had the digestion been fast, it would’ve almost certainly been fatal for our lazy bums. 

The continent of Australia is known for its venomous vipers and tarantulas and a lot of other terrifying creatures which can casually visit your home and make it a point to basically live there rent-free. But not all marsupials are threatening or invasive. Take a look at the Koala Bear. But first things first – they are anything but bears! Found exclusively in Australia and New Zealand, Phascolarctos cinereous can be considered one of the slowest marsupial mammals. Most of the time, Koala Bears are found nuzzled comfortably between branches of Eucalyptus trees and inevitably, their diet primarily consists of Eucalyptus leaves. But Eucalyptus leaves are high in fibre content and very low in nutrition, so how does the Koala Bear survive? Because they are lazy! Koala Bears sleep for almost 18 to 22 hours a day. Also, these mammals are very slow in their movement and are often seen remaining stationary on the trees just like that. All this helps conserve energy to a vast extent. It is safe to say that if Koala Bears were more active, they would need a different diet to compensate for the lack of calories. Koala Bears are also very clumsy animals, and their slow movement from branch to branch only lessens their chance of falling off trees. A win-win situation, isn’t it?

The rainforests of South and Southeast Asia are home to a variety of faunal diversity and are among the most species-rich ecosystems in the world. Amongst the large populations of primates, there’s one notorious animal with large goofy eyes that interests us here. Nycticebus, or Slow Loris as 
commonly called, is a genus of nocturnal primates native to Southeast Asian countries. These mammals are a fitting example and justification of why you should never judge a book by its cover. Though they appear very cute and adorable at first, Lorises can be very dangerous once provoked thanks to their poisonous armpits which store venomous oil. Interestingly, Lorises lick their armpits and mix the oil with their saliva to accord for one of the deadliest bites of any mammal in the animal kingdom. Just like Koala Bears, they have a very slow rate of metabolism. However, unlike our marsupial friends, Lorises don’t need reduced metabolism to cover up for their low-energy diet – it helps them in offence-defence. Lorises are very quiet and stealthy in their movement and can stand dead-silent immediately if they see a predator approach them. Their slow movements hardly disturb the
environment in their vicinity which practically makes them untraceable unless the animal is right in front of you. 

In Indonesia, they are often called ‘wind monkeys’ due to their ability to silently escape from any threat. Slowed metabolism also helps them to reduce their body temperature which makes them undetectable to heat-seeking predators. Scientists also claim that their lazy ways actually help them to catch prey too. These deadly primates lie as still as a log and pounce upon any insect or small creature as soon as the prey comes near it. Hmm, maybe being lethargic is not all that bad. 

The Giant Panda is a species of bear found exclusively in the bamboo forests of China. Ailuropoda melanoleuca, as they are

scientifically called, never hibernate even though they are practically bears. Why? Too much effort! Even though they cannot insulate themselves with their low body fat, these fluffy mammals prefer to find a cosier place to escape the harsh cold and relax. But is this the only reason for them to not undergo hibernation? Studies tell us that Giant Pandas have an anatomical body construction fit for a carnivore. But in today’s day and age, Giant Pandas can be seen feeding on almost only bamboo. The all-veg diet prevents this mammal to pile up on fat and thus bars it from having an extended sleep period. Pandas don’t exactly Torpor but their reduced metabolic rates are a result of various genetic and morphological changesoverf years altogether. (Torpor is the ability of an organism to voluntarily reduce its rate of metabolism thus slowing down its bodily activities.) In other words, these black and white bears just evolved to be lazy. But that’s what this animal chose to do! Half of the average day in a Panda’s life is spent eating while the other half is spent dozing off to conserve energy. Broadly speaking, you have an animal that eats to have enough energy to eat! While it would be wrong to say that slowed metabolic rates and lazy traits directly helps Giant Pandas to survive in the wild, it is also true that these fluffy animals have just made their lives easy and effortless!

All this just makes us realise how diverse and wondrous mother nature really is. (And also, how being a couch potato is probably not, after all, a thing to be ashamed of!)

~Aditya Patil

References:
Smithsonian Magazine
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Nature Journal
BBC Science Focus Magazine

New York Magazine

Nature Journal
Cosmos Magazine
https://academic.oup.com

https://bioweb.uwlax.edu
https://www.researchgate.com
https://www.sciencedirect.com

www.bbc.com
https://slothconservation.org
www.worldwildlife.org
https://savethekoala.com
https://koalancy.wordpress.com
https://koalainfo.com
https://www.sci.news
https://livesiene.com
https://www.voanes.com