Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) become extinct before 2100 due to climate change

NEWS - Sloths may not survive the significant temperature increases predicted to occur by 2100. The notoriously slow-moving creatures native to Central and South America may face an existential threat from climate change, researchers say.

Research examining the metabolic response of sloths to rising temperatures suggests that the animals’ energy constraints could make survival untenable by the end of the century, particularly for high-altitude populations.

Rebecca Cliffe of the Sloth Conservation Foundation in Derbyshire, United Kingdom, and colleagues investigated how Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni), which live in highland and lowland areas, respond to varying ambient temperatures.

Using indirect calorimetry, the researchers measured the sloths’ oxygen consumption and core body temperature under conditions that mimic projected climate change. The findings suggest a troubling future for sloths, particularly those living in high-altitude areas.

"Sloths are limited by their slow metabolism and inability to regulate body temperature effectively, unlike most mammals. We show that sloths, especially in high-altitude areas, may not be able to survive the significant temperature increases predicted to occur by 2100," Cliffe said.

Original research

Cliffe RN, Ewart HE, Scantlebury DM, Kennedy S, Avey-Arroyo J, Mindich D, Wilson RP. (2024). Sloth metabolism may make survival untenable under climate change scenarios. PeerJ 12:e18168, DOI:10.7717/peerj.18168

Dlium theDlium

Purwaceng (Pimpinella pruatjan)

Purwaceng or purwoceng or antanan gunung or Viagra of Java ( Pimpinella pruatjan or Pimpinella priatjan ) are small termas growing horizontally in Apiaceae, growing in villages on Dieng Plateau, Central Java Province, Indonesia, at 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level, the roots have medicinal properties for aphrodisiacs and are usually processed in powder form for a mixture of coffee or milk. P. pruatjan grows flat on the ground but does not propagate, small leaves are reddish green for 1-3 cm in diameter. This plant is only found in Java and grows in high mountain areas. A low population where industrial demand is very high results in increasingly scarce. Another place that is likely to become a purwaceng habitat is the Iyang Mountains and the Tengger Mountains in East Java Province. Efforts to multiply and cultivate have a big problem where these plants have difficulty producing seeds. In vitro propagation research through tissue cultivation has been carried out to overcome ...

Six new species forming the Sumbana species group in genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg 1798 from Indonesia

NEWS - Sumbawa longhorn ( Nemophora sumbana Kozlov, sp. nov.), Timor longhorn ( Nemophora timorella Kozlov, sp. nov.), shining shade longhorn ( Nemophora umbronitidella Kozlov, sp. nov.), Wegner longhorn ( Nemophora wegneri Kozlov, sp. nov.), long brush longhorn ( Nemophora longipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.), and short brush longhorn ( Nemophora brevipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.) from the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. The Lesser Sunda Islands consist of two parallel, linear oceanic island chains, including Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Sawu, Timor, Alor, and Tanimbar. The oldest of these islands have been continuously occurring for 10–12 million years. This long period of isolation has allowed significant in situ diversification, making the Lesser Sundas home to many endemic species. This island chain may act as a two-way filter for organisms migrating between the world's two great biogeographic regions, Asia and Australia-Papua. The recognition of a striking cli...

New living fossil, Amethyst worm lizard (Amphisbaena amethysta), from Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

NEWS - New species from the northern Espinhaço Mountains, Caetité municipality, Bahia state, Brazil. Amethyst worm lizard ( Amphisbaena amethysta ) is the 71st species of the genus with 4 precloacal pores and the 22nd species of Caatinga morphoclimatic domain. Identification of the new species shows the reptiles of the Mountains are far from complete and may contain greater diversity of endemic taxa. A. amethysta can be distinguished by its anteriorly convex snout, slightly compressed and unkeeled, pectoral scales arranged in regular annuli, four precloacal pores, distinct head shield, 185-199 dorsal and half annuli, 13-16 caudal annuli, a conspicuous autotomy spot between the 4th-6th caudal annuli, 16-21 dorsal and ventral segments in the middle of the body, 3/3 supralabials, 3/3 infralabials and a smooth and rounded tail tip. A. amethysta occurs in areas with an average elevation of 1000 meters in patches of deciduous and semi-deciduous forests associated with valleys, slopes, fore...

Dlium