Page:A History of Land Mammals in the Western Hemisphere.djvu/210

Edentata, which were once far more varied and abundant than they now are, comprise three groups of animals so bizarre and strange that they seem more like fabulous creatures than actual, living mammals. One group, or suborder, is that of the sloths (Tardigrada), arboreal, shaggy animals, with short,

Fig. 107. — Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus tridactylus). — By permission of the N.Y. Zoölog. Soc.

almost monkey-like head and no tail; their very long legs and hook-like feet make them nearly helpless on the ground, but are very useful for hanging from the branches of the trees, in which the creatures live. Indeed, the sloths are the only mammals which habitually hang in a suspended position.