brown-throated three-toed sloth vs Cheetah

Bradypus variegatus compared with Acinonyx jubatus

Key Differences

• brown-throated three-toed sloth is Least Concern while Cheetah is Vulnerable.
• brown-throated three-toed sloth is herbivore while Cheetah is carnivore.
• Cheetah is 12.5x heavier than brown-throated three-toed sloth.
• brown-throated three-toed sloth lives longer (30 years vs 12 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brown-throated three-toed sloth	Cheetah
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Pilosa (Sloths & Anteaters)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Bradypodidae (Three-toed Sloths)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Bradypus (Three-toed Sloths)	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)
Species	Bradypus variegatus	Acinonyx jubatus

Evolutionary Relationship

brown-throated three-toed sloth and Cheetah share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

brown-throated three-toed sloth

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brown-throated three-toed sloth	Cheetah
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	30 years	12 years
Average Length	60 cm	1.5 m
Average Weight	4.0 kg	50.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

brown-throated three-toed sloth

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

Cheetah

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

brown-throated three-toed sloth

One of the world's slowest mammals, brown-throated three-toed sloths hang inverted in the rainforest canopy of Central and South America, moving at an average speed of 0.24 km/h. Their low metabolic rate is a key adaptation to their nutrient-poor leaf diet. Algae growing in their fur provides camouflage and may harbor symbiotic fungi with antimicrobial properties. Moths, beetles, and fungi form a miniature ecosystem within sloth fur.

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching speeds of 112 km/h over short distances across African and Iranian grasslands. Slender build with a deep chest, long legs, and distinctive black tear-stripe markings. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs vocalize with chirps and purrs. Vulnerable, with only ~7,000 remaining due to habitat fragmentation and competition with larger predators.