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

It doesn’t appear to be neurological. They are adapted to eat significantly less than most mammals. Less calories means less energy for muscle movement. The more you move the more energy you burn. If they moved fast and their metabolism was high then they’d need more calories. Their diet is mostly calorie deficient leaves, so their body has adapted to moving slowly to require less energy. Otherwise they would burn their calories and starve.