A little known fact about sloths is that they are able to hold their breath for an astonishing amount of time. Because of their ability to slow their heart rates to one-third of the normal pace, the funny little animals can refrain from taking a breath for up to 40 minutes, as Travel+Leisure reports. This nifty little feat can certainly come in handy if a sloth is being pursued by a predator and needs to seek cover beneath the surface of a nearby pond or lake.
We generally associate the outrageous ability to hold one's breath underwater with turtles. However, according to the Oliver Ridley Project, sea turtles have been known to hold their breath for around 45 minutes to an hour, which really isn't much longer than a sloth. Imagine the oceanic convergence of sloths and sea turtles if the former one day decided to seek refuge in the deep blue instead of trees...
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