On the move: sloths and their epibionts as model mobile ecosystems

Sloths are unusual mobile ecosystems, containing a high diversity of epibionts living and growing in their fur as they climb slowly through the canopies of tropical forests. These epibionts include poorly studied algae, arthropods, fungi, and bacteria, making sloths likely reservoirs of unexplored biodiversity. This review aims to identify gaps and eliminate misconceptions in our knowledge of sloths and their epibionts, and to identify key questions to stimulate future research into the functions and roles of sloths within a broader ecological and evolutionary context. This review also seeks to position the sloth fur ecosystem as a model for addressing fundamental questions in metacommunity and movement ecology. The conceptual and evidence-based foundation of this review aims to serve as a guide for future hypothesis-driven research into sloths, their microbiota, sloth health and conservation, and the coevolution of symbioses in general.

Automated summary

Sloths carry a high diversity of epibionts as they move slowly through tropical forests, potentially serving as reservoirs of unexplored biodiversity. By identifying gaps and misconceptions in our understanding, this review aims to stimulate future research into the functions and roles of sloths within a broader ecological and evolutionary context. The sloth fur ecosystem could be a model for addressing fundamental questions in metacommunity and movement ecology through hypothesis-driven research.