Is the reason why sloths move so slowly because their neurons naturally have less myelin on the axon? So nerve signals like action potentials move really slowly along the axon and thus cause slower movements?

Question

I think I heard about this in my biological psychology class but I can’t find anything when I try to search it online except for “low metabolic rates.” Is the reason in the title correct or am I misremembering?

In: 0

Answer 1

Actually down when we still had a military base in Panama I was visiting a friend. They were over by this bent tree poking at a moss covered sloth with a stick. Faster than you could blink your eyes, it swung its arms and claw at the stick and it dropped in 3 pieces. Then slow as molasses, it brought its arm back to the tree and rested its head. So they have the ability, just maybe not the desire to expend energy?