The umbilical cord is the conduit between a fetus and the placenta. It serves as the source of nutrients for the embryo — a lifeline for a mother’s young. For sloths, however, the umbilical cord also has another role: as a bungee cord that prevents the newborn from falling right out of the tree.
A rare glimpse of just such an incredible moment was recently caught on camera in Costa Rica, by local guide Steven Vela.
Pulling over to merely observe a brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus), he and his vehicle of tourists instead bore witness to the late stages of sloth labour.
Seconds after birth, a newborn sloth can be seen suddenly slipping out of its mother's arms and falling, saved only by its umbilical cord.
Breathtaking.
(Video Credit: Nature on PBS/ YouTube)
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its a baby slooth!
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