Pale-throated sloths have a rounded head with a blunt nose and small external ears. Genetic evidence has been interpreted to suggest the two species diverged only around 400,000 years ago, although the most recent evidence indicates the split was closer to 6 million years. It is similar in appearance to, and often confused with, the brown-throated sloth, which has a much wider distribution. The pale-throated sloth ( Bradypus tridactylus), occasionally known as the ai ( / ˈ ɑː i/), is a species of three-toed sloth that inhabits tropical rainforests in northern South America.
