Cock's-spur vs Pygmy three-toed sloth

Erythrina eggersii compared with Bradypus pygmaeus

Key Differences

• Cock's-spur is Endangered while Pygmy three-toed sloth is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cock's-spur	Pygmy three-toed sloth
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Pilosa (Sloths & Anteaters)
Family	Fabaceae	Bradypodidae (Three-toed Sloths)
Genus	Erythrina	Bradypus (Three-toed Sloths)
Species	Erythrina eggersii	Bradypus pygmaeus

Conservation Status

Cock's-spur

EN — Endangered

Pygmy three-toed sloth

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cock's-spur	Pygmy three-toed sloth
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cock's-spur

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Pygmy three-toed sloth

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Cock's-spur

The cock's spur (Erythrina eggersii) is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree in the family Fabaceae, classified as Endangered and endemic to the Caribbean region, with its range restricted to a limited number of eastern Caribbean islands. Like other members of the genus Erythrina — the coral trees — it produces large, vivid red flowers that are a primary nectar source for hummingbirds and other nectarivorous birds, which serve as the tree's principal pollinators. The common name refers to the spurred or claw-shaped petals of the flower, characteristic of the genus. Erythrina eggersii is threatened primarily by habitat loss through agricultural conversion, development, introduced herbivores including goats and cattle that browse regenerating seedlings, and the extreme vulnerability of island endemic species to stochastic events such as hurricanes and droughts. The restricted range, small total population, and ongoing habitat decline place this species squarely in the Endangered category under IUCN criteria. Caribbean islands support disproportionately high levels of plant endemism but also suffer from among the highest rates of habitat conversion and invasive species pressure of any region globally. Conservation priorities for E. eggersii include protection of remaining native dry forest fragments, control of invasive herbivores, and ex situ cultivation as insurance against further population decline. The species was named for the Danish botanist Hans Franz Alexander von Eggers, who collected extensively in the Caribbean during the nineteenth century.