Most of us usually know about the fastest and dangerous animals in the world. However, when it comes to the slowest animals then, it’s only about turtles and turtles only. Well, this world is very diversified and full of eye-opening facts.
It is believed that the speed of any animal doesn’t make any difference. However, if we dig deeper into the logic then, an animal speed helps in supporting their purposes such as finding food, saving them from the danger, finding the right shelter for their babies and adjusting into their environment.
It is also important to understand that the average speed of animals plays a very important role in determining their contribution to the eco-system. Learn about some of the slowest animals in the world by digging into this article.
1. Three-Toed Sloth
Photo by SergioDelgado/flickr
The three-toed sloth is the world’s slowest animal with a speed of hardly 0.003 hours per mile and can move only up to 100 feet a day. The three-toed sloth is usually found in America and they tend to spend their entire life in one place for all the right reasons.
2. StarFish
Photo by dickdotcom/flickr
Starfish is one of the slowest creatures in the world which belongs to the family of Echinodermata. This creature doesn’t consist of any blood, brain or circulatory system. Amazingly, Starfish can easily redevelop their lost body parts in a few hours. Starfish hardly moves at a speed of 0.02 hours per mile.
3. Snail (Garden Snail)
Photo by MattX27/flickr
Garden Snails can easily be found anywhere in the world and are differentiated from the banana slug based on the coiled shell on their backs. Due to coiled snail, it is harder for the animal to move faster. A snail moves by contracting their body on soil and they are also capable of entering into the hibernate mode when needed.
4. Tortoise
Photo by Phalinn Ooi/flickr
It’s known for years that giant tortoise or turtles are the slowest animals because of their heavy body and overall weight. The tortoise could weigh up to 350 kgs, they have tiny yet heaviest legs and hardcore shells which makes their movement difficult. Since this animal doesn’t have any type of predator therefore, their speed isn’t harmful to their life.
5. Koala Bear
Photo by Eric Kilby/flickr
Koala Bears are known as the cutest animals in the world but do you know that they are also the slowest ones? Koala bears are found in the Australian region and lives on the trees. Although they are slowest in terms of walking but fastest when it comes to climbing the trees and chasing something they like.
6. Banana Slug
Photo by acabe/flickr
Banana slug consists of the soft-body with no prominent shell. Slug or commonly called the slowest moving snail has a yellow-colored body which also resembles the banana. Banana Slug is a ground dweller and tends to move at the speed of 0.2 miles per hour by contracting its body in the soil.
7. Sea Horse
Photo by Seattle Municipal Archives/flickr
It won’t be wrong to call sea horses as one of the smallest and slowest marine animals in the world. Sea horse consists of the unique color-changing trait which allows the animal to change his color based on its environment.
Sea Horse also consists of the small fin which helps him in moving inside the water. Since the fins are not very strong therefore, it is hard for the animal to move at a faster speed. The animal has average speed of 0.5 hours per mile.
8. Loris
Photo by Michael_Whitehead/flickr
Slow Loris is a nocturnal animal that is found in South East Asia. Loris consists of the human-like hands which allow them to hold on to their prey, tree brands and easily climb from one tree to another.
Loris moves in very slow motion in order to preserve its energy for the preying time. This animal has an overall speed of 2 km per hour.
9. Gila Monsters
Photo by Phalinn Ooi/flickr
Gila monster is famous all around the world because of its predating powers. This slowest animal is found in South-Western America and couldn’t be identified very easily. Gila monster doesn’t walk on the surface, however, it prefers hiding inside the soil.
The predator makes a strategy for approaching his prey by waiting for them to come to him. Although Gila might look like a small animal it can easily consume the 1/3rd of any animal’s body and can store the rest of the food in fat collectors for the times when food scares.
10. Manatees
Photo by psyberartist/flickr
Manatees are called as one of the most adorable yet slowest herbivorous marine animals that are usually found in the Caribbean ocean, Indian Ocean and Amazon. Manatees usually never move on their own, however, they are dependent on the water flow to carry them around.
Manatees are found floating in the shallow water. Manatees are called the slowest animals because they have heavy body size and no swimming organs such as fins, strong tail or flippers.
11. Mollusks
Photo by Smabs Sputzer (1956-2017)/flickr
Mollusk is the soft-bodied invertebrate and also the extinct animal with the slowest speed. The animal consists of the calcium carbonate covered shell which is responsible for carrying the soft body of the animal. According to the estimate, only 80,000 to 100,000 species of Mollusk are left in the world and the dying number is increasing at an alarming rate.
12. Coral
Photo by Mathias Appel/flickr
Some scientists consider coral as marine invertebrates which live insides the tiny colonies inside the water. Usually, it is impossible to understand the movement of coral because they tend to move alongside the water. Since coral is made up of thousands of polyps therefore, it is hard to determine its accurate speed during the movement.
End Notes
It won’t be wrong to state that this world is full of different animals that are serving their purposes according to the will of nature. We are super impressed by the fact that how these slowest animals in the world move to live freely and according to their choice.
Do you know about any of the slowest animals that we have missed? Let us know by leaving your comments below.
