You’ve probably heard that the 70 mph cheetah is the fastest land animal. But do you know which animals are the slowest in the world? Are you ready to find out? We have compiled a list of the 8 slowest animals in the world. Keep reading to find out how some animals move slowly!
# 8 Slowest Animals: Slow Loris
The title may be a gift, but Slow Loris is a very tiresome animal. They travel at just 1.18 miles per hour. These nocturnal primates usually travel about 5 miles at night in search of prey. Although they usually move very slowly when they find prey, they can move a little faster to strike.
The slow loris is the only venomous primate in the world. Their mouths and elbows contain toxins that protect them from predators. They will spread these toxins through their fur to provide additional protection. This is probably one of the reasons why this animal can move so slowly without being constantly attacked by predators.
# 7 Slowest Animals: Gila Monster
The gila monster may be faster than some of the other animals on this list, but not by much! They are only able to run at a speed of about 1 mile per hour. Thus, while they are the largest lizards found in the United States (about 20 inches long), they are not even close to being the fastest lizards in the country. The Gila Monsters spend most of their day sunbathing.
Gila monsters live in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. They live in the Sonoran, Chihuahua and Mojave deserts. Knowing how slow (and lazy) the Gila Mons are, it should be surprising to know that they are cute and easy to catch. This often includes newborn mammals and eggs. Gila Monsters swallow food whole. They can also accumulate fat in their tails and live off this in the winter when they stay in the underground house.
# 6 Slowest animals: banana slug
Banana slugs are another of the slowest animals on the planet. Banana slugs travel at about 0.186 miles per hour. They have one foot that contracts muscles. These contractions produce mucus. The mucus turns into mucus, which allows the slug to lubricate its path, helping it move. Although very slow, slugs tend to be faster than their garden snail counterparts. This may be because they don’t have a shell that weighs them down like a garden snail does.
Banana slugs can descend from heights. In their story, there is a slimy gland that allows the slug to make a rope to help them descend.
# 5 Slowest Animals: Giant Turtle
If you’ve ever heard the Turtle and the Hare fable, you may have guessed that the turtle will be on this list. The Galapagos tortoise is one of the subspecies of giant tortoises. They only move 60 yards every 10 minutes. This is about 0.186 mph. This means that it can take a giant turtle a full day to walk just four miles. Some giant turtles can move slightly faster, with a top speed of about 1.2 miles per hour. The shell of the giant tortoise is quite heavy, which can contribute to their slow running.
The Galapagos tortoise can live for over 150 years. Turtles have also lived on Earth longer than most other creatures. They were in the days of the dinosaurs.
# 4 Slowest animals: three-toed sloth
Three-toed sloths are very slow animals. They stay on the treetops most of the day and hardly move. Their very low metabolic rate is believed to be the reason this mammal works so slowly. Sloths move at just 1 foot per minute, or about 0.011 miles per hour. This is such a low speed that algae even grow on their fur!
Because of their slower metabolism, sloths do not need to eat much. They can get by with just a few twigs and leaves. The anatomical structure of sloths is different from other mammals. They have very long arms and very short shoulder blades. This allows them to easily travel long distances without having to move too much.
# 3 Slowest animals: starfish
Most starfish move very slowly. Some move as little as 15 centimeters every minute. That’s roughly 0.005 miles per hour. On the hands of the starfish there are special tubes along which they move. If a starfish wants to travel a greater distance, it can use ocean currents to help it move faster.
Did you know that there are about 2000 types of starfish? You can find an eye on the end of each arm of a starfish, and some starfish have as many as 40. Despite their name, starfish are not fish. Unlike fish, they have no scales, fins or gills. Rather, they are part of the phylum of echinoderms, making them relatives of sea urchins and sea urchins. Many starfish, like other echinoderms, are radially symmetrical. This means that their body parts are symmetrical about the central axis. This means that you cannot clearly tell which side of the Starfish is “up” or “left”.
# 2 Slowest animals: garden snail
Did you know that garden snails only move one meter every hour? That’s about 0.0006 mph! To move, the garden snail’s boneless paw contracts muscles. This releases mucus, or mucus, which allows the snail to lubricate its path to help it move.
Because of the thick shell on their backs, speed is not really necessary for snails trying to escape from a predator. They can simply be stowed away in your sink for safety. A heavier projectile also slows down its speed.
# 1 Slowest animals: sea anemones.
Sloths may be the slowest land animals, but sea anemones are even slower. Most of the time, anemones remain attached to rocks or corals. They like to hunt fish or other beauty that swims nearby. However, from time to time they will shift from their position. Based on time-lapse photography, it is believed that sea anemones move only 1 centimeter (about 0.39 inches) per hour! To move, the Sea Anemone moves slowly over rock or coral using a pedal disc. They also know how to swim and swim.
Sea anemones are invertebrates that use their tentacles to catch prey. Their tentacles sting the prey and help it get into the mouth of the sea anemone. Sea anemones are like a flower. They can range in size from 0.5 inches to 6 feet in diameter. Most sea anemones can be found in tropical waters, but some have adapted to life in cooler waters.
If you ever get the feeling that you are moving too slowly and not being able to handle your day to day work, think of some of these slow animals and how much faster you are! Have you personally seen any of these slow animals? Were you surprised by any of the animals on this list?
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