Sloths are a paradox. How can they be the slowest mammals in the forest and yet, common? There may be as many as eight sloths per hectare. A hectare is about the size of 2 1/2 football fields. Sloths have grooves in their outer hair. This adaptation gives blue-green bacteria and green algae a home and their growth gives sloths a mossy color. Being camouflaged by their mossy color and their slow movement, make sloths almost impossible to see when they are in the canopy. Sloths have a mutual (mutualism) relationship with the blue-green bacteria and green algae.
They help each other. The bacteria and algae have a home in the canopy of the rainforest. Sloths benefit by having a mossy color and getting nutrients from licking the bacteria and algae off their fur.