4 ms·

Might that be another part of their predator-discouraging strategies?

• greentxt 2y ago
  I doubt they can control the smell.
  • bell-cot 2y ago
    Puffer fish can't control being poisonous, but it still discourages predators.
    • lagniappe 2y ago
      Poor example, they're not naturally poisonous, it's dietary. Palytoxin and Ciguatoxin are not endogenous, the animal first has to eat another organism containing a dinoflagellate that creates these toxins, Gambierdiscus toxicus. This quality is inherent to most reef fish, especially ones with beaks.
      • greentxt 2y ago
        Begging the question, nature or nutrition.
      • bell-cot 2y ago
        > Poor example, they're not naturally... So...what if the vile-smelling feces of the sloths was not "natural", but due to a variety of microorganisms which had colonized their intestines?
  • CubicsRube 2y ago
    Like tigers can't control their coat color or stripe pattern, but it has an evolutionary advantage so these traits persist.
• shellfishgene 2y ago
  Probably not, sloths only poop on the ground, which makes them vulnerable. Related post from the site: https://slothconservation.org/why-do-sloths-poop-on-the-ground/ https://slothconservation.org/why-do-sloths-poop-on-the-grou...