Over 50 percent of sloths die when they defecate. This is because most sloths climb down out of the protective trees to poop on the ground. This makes them vulnerable to predators, especially jungle cats, as they're even slower on the ground than in trees.

How do sloths usually die?

The fastidious ritual — nearly the only reason a sloth leaves the limbs of just a few trees — may be the leading cause of death among the sloths. More than half the deaths Pauli and collaborators documented during field research came at the claws and teeth of predators pouncing on sloths on or near the ground.

How do 90% of sloths die?

The impressive biology of a sloth allows it to spend 90% of its life hanging upside down. ... This means that, unlike us, a sloth can hang upside down with no effect on its breathing.