Sloth

Alan Rauch is Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and his many books include Dolphin (2013) in Reaktion’s Animal series.

"A comprehensive primer on sloths . . . if you’re looking for more reasons to love sloths beyond cute, slow, and upside-down, Rauch’s book is a great place to start." - American Biology Teacher"In this amusing and informative entry in Reaktionʼs 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"Alan Rauch's Sloth is a compelling investigation of a culturally salient creature. He accomplishes the best kind of familiarization, one that informs readers about the real beings behind the memes." - Lection"As a sloth expert, I rarely read things about sloths that I didn’t already know. However, Alan’s coverage of all things sloth, including the extinct giant species and historical references throughout time and cultures, had me genuinely fascinated.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, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Mississippi

• Preface1 The Modern Sloth2 Anatomy and Physiology3 Sloth Species and Evolution4 The Sin of Sloth and the Sloths of Sin5 Sloths in Culture6 Sloths, Conservation and Eco-AwarenessTimeline ReferencesSelect BibliographyAcknowledgementsPhoto AcknowledgementsIndex