Eastern Anteater-Sloth

Planet: Xenosulia

Common name: eastern anteater-sloth

Scientific name: Sutidu pulusa

Size: 50 – 80 cm in length

Diet: spherebugs, seeds

Habitat and range: trees in east Arunian forests 

Reproduction: simultaneous hermaphrodites

The tiny spherozoans are one of the most successful phyla on Xenosulia. With such a high abundance in virtually every location on the planet, it’s no wonder that a large number of clades have become specialised to take advantage of this rich and plentiful energy source. The spinoptilite order Dendroglossiformes is one such group, and this specialisation can be most clearly seen in the very derived structure of their oral proboscis. With numerous branched tentacles at the tip, rich in sensory hairs, they are particularly adept at catching tiny and fast-moving prey, and can extract them from small spaces. Dendroglossiformes is a very speciose group, with the large number of spherozoan species allowing for a wide range of specialised diets.

The anteater sloth focuses on arboreal spherozoans, using its branched proboscis to search for them among the feathery leaves. They also supplement their diet with vegetation such as seeds, although most of their energy comes from spherebugs, with seeds mainly providing nutrients they can’t get elsewhere.