The northern maned three-toed sloth occurs in the Brazilian states of Bahia and Sergipe. A field study confirmed that it eats leaves, especially young leaves.
Both sexes have a black mane from the back of the neck over the shoulders. The male mane is usually larger and darker than the female mane.
Researchers used records from 42 locations to model suitable conditions for the maned sloth in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, using climate and elevation data. They compared Maxent and Mahalanobis-distance models and examined the known range from Sergipe to Rio de Janeiro. Temperature seasonality emerged as a major environmental factor associated with the modelled distribution.
The models identified 17 potential stronghold areas. They also showed climatically suitable places in parts of northern Rio de Janeiro, northern Espírito Santo, and southern Bahia where the species had not been recorded. The authors suggested that factors beyond climate could help explain these gaps and identified areas for further surveys. Many candidate sites were in coastal mountains.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The authors identified 17 possible strongholds, including areas within the existing protected-area network, and proposed new survey locations. Their model combines climatic suitability with forest cover to map potential conservation priorities in coastal Brazil.