In the heart of the Caribbean, in island Roatan Honduran, a animal of soft walking and serene look reigns as a national symbol: the bogeyr.
Despite its worldwide fame for being one of slower animals on the planethe gained local pride status not for his speed, but for the tranquility he represents, in harmony with the exuberant nature of the region.
In Roatán, the bug-bug is more than a tourist icon, it is an emblem of respect for biodiversity, patience and coexistence with the natural environment.
Its image illustrates murals, signs and souvenirs as a reflection of a culture that values the calm rhythm of life. But after all, why is the bug-bug so slow? And what does science say about this behavior that, contrary to what it seems, is it anything but lazy?
Why are the bustle animals so… lazy?
The crumbling animal is one of the most iconic animals in Latin America and, contrary to popular belief, its slowness is not the result of laziness, but an extremely efficient evolutionary adaptation.
With incredibly slow metabolism, these animals live in slow motion as a survival strategy.
The bug-bug you don’t have to move quickly because you live in an environment with few natural predators at the top of the trees and because it consumes a low-energy low-energy diet by leaves.
The leaves are poor in nutrients and difficult to digest. Therefore, the bruises developed a specialized digestive system, with a stomach divided into cameras, similar to that of some ruminants.
This system can take up to a month to completely process a meal. Because digestion consumes a lot of energy and the diet offers little caloric return, they simply slowed down.
Slow movement reduces energy expenditure and helps them survive with the minimum necessary.
Another interesting point is that your slowness also works as camouflage. The bruises move so slowly that they avoid attracting attention from predators such as jaguars and birds of prey.
In addition, its hair is home to green algae that help mix their coat with the green of the leaves, making them almost invisible at the top of the trees. This natural disguise is possible precisely because they do not move frequently.
The bruises live most of their lives hanging from branches, and your body is perfectly adapted to it.
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Their long and curved claws allow them to cling firmly, and their members are designed to support the weight with the least effort. Interestingly, even when killed, their bodies remain attached to the branches for hours, which demonstrates the level of adaptation to suspended life.
In addition to slow, they are excellent swimmers. When they enter the water, they can move faster than on land or trees, using large movements of the arms to propel themselves. This helps them cross rivers and lakes Between forests, and sometimes it is also a way to escape threats on land.
Low body temperature also contributes to your slow lifestyle. Burden animals have an average temperature of about 30 ° C, lower than most mammals, which further decreases their metabolism.
When the weather cools, they become even slower, and this can even affect their digestion ability. On cold days, some simply stop eating until the temperature rose again.
The best known bug species are three fingers (gender Bradypus) and two fingers (gender Choloepus).
Although similar at first glance, they belong to different families and have significant differences in behavior, food and anatomy. Those of two fingers, for example, are a little more active and have a more varied diet.
The crumbling bug is fundamental to the ecosystems of tropical forests. In addition to dispersing seeds, their hair acts as a small walking ecosystem, housing algae, fungi and small invertebrates.
This symbiotic relationship makes your presence even more relevant to the balance of biodiversity.
Although its slowness is often seen as synonymous with fragility, bug-bug is, in fact, the result of millions of extremely successful adaptation.
Instead of running, they survived being almost invisible, spending little energy and maintaining a rhythm of life that prioritizes efficiency over haste.
With information from WWF.
