Silhouette: Xavier A. Jenkins · PhyloPic

Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Possible. About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 118 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 25 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park?

February and April. In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against about 10% in November, the lowest month. Those are among Arenal Volcano National Park's driest months, with about 170 mm of rain a month against 500 mm in November.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth?

Between 10 am and 1 pm. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Arenal Volcano National Park the best place to see a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth?

12th of 20. Of the 20 parks where we can rate Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 12th at about 30%. The best odds are in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (Costa Rica, about 70%), Cahuita National Park (Costa Rica, about 70%) and Manuel Antonio National Park (Costa Rica, about 60%). All parks ranked.

Q: Which relatives of the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth live in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Same order: Pilosa. The closest relatives of the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (order Pilosa, Sloths and Anteaters) are Brown-throated Sloth (about 50%) and Northern Tamandua (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth is recorded against all the mammals logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (118 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Choloepus hoffmanni

Silhouette: Xavier A. Jenkins · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassMammalia (Mammals)
OrderPilosa (Sloths and Anteaters)
FamilyMegalonychidae (Two-toed Ground Sloths)
GenusCholoepus (Two-Toed Sloths)
SpeciesCholoepus hoffmanni (Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth)

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

at Arenal Volcano National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

118 Verified sightings at Arenal Volcano National Park From 2019 to 2026

2,276 In all 20 parks

February Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Challenge Two-toed and Three-toed Sloths Central AmericaEasy

About the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth

The Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni), also known as the northern two-toed sloth, is a species of sloth from Central and South America. It is a solitary, largely nocturnal and arboreal animal, found in mature and secondary rainforests and deciduous forests. The common name commemorates the German naturalist Karl Hoffmann, who discovered the Hoffmann sloth.

Hoffmann's two-toed sloth is a heavily built animal with shaggy fur and slow, deliberate movements. The fore feet have only two toes, each ending with long, curved claws, although three clawed toes are on each of the hind feet. Other features that distinguish it from three-toed sloths, which may be found in the same geographic areas, include the longer snout, separate rather than partially fused toes of the forefeet, the absence of hair on the soles of the feet, fewer dark markings around the eyes, and larger overall size. The wrist of the sloth has developed some specific traits due to their slow, yet acrobatic motions. These evolved traits include diminution and distal migration of the pisiform bone, with a loss of contact with the ulna; reduction of the distal end of the ulna to a styloid process... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Known range (Mammal Diversity Database, Marsh et al. 2022)Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 68 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
2	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
3	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
4	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
5	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
6	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
7	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
8	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
9	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
10	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
11	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
12	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
13	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
14	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
15	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
16	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
17	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
18	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
19	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
20	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	San José	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
2	Panama City	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Busch Gardens Tampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	National Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	Skansen	🇸🇪 Sweden	In captivity
4	Cleveland Metroparks Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	Korkeasaari Zoo	🇫🇮 Finland	In captivity
6	Paris Zoological Park	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
7	Kaliningrad Zoo	🇷🇺 Russia	In captivity
8	Bioparque Estrella	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
9	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
10	Khao Kheow Open Zoo	🇹🇭 Thailand	In captivity
11	Brookfield Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
12	Milwaukee County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
13	Cheyenne Mountain Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
14	Los Angeles Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
15	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
16	Parque Municipal Summit	🇵🇦 Panama	In captivity
17	Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	Saint Louis Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
19	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
20	Franklin Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
21	Tanganyika Wildlife Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
22	Fort Worth Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
23	Indianapolis Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
24	Metro Richmond Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
25	Houston Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
26	Cameron Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
27	Cologne Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
28	Philadelphia Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	Chapultepec Zoo	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
30	Zoo Atlanta	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
31	London Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
32	Faunia	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
33	Riverbanks Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
34	Lincoln Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
35	Amaru	🇪🇨 Ecuador	In captivity
36	Buffalo Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
37	La Paz Waterfall Gardens	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	In captivity
38	Topeka Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
39	Adelaide Zoo	🇦🇺 Australia	In captivity
40	Bioparque Los Ocarros	🇨🇴 Colombia	In captivity
41	Henry Vilas Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
42	Como Park Zoo and Conservatory	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
43	Como Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
44	Palm Beach Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
45	Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
46	Children's Zoo at Celebration Square	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
47	Elmwood Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
48	Newquay Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
49	Montecasino Bird Gardens	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
50	St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Arenal Volcano National Park

Bradypus variegatus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Tamandua mexicana

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Nasua narica

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Alouatta palliata

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Sciurus variegatoides

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Dasyprocta punctata

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Ateles geoffroyi

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Pecari tajacu

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Cebus imitator

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Sylvilagus gabbi

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Eira barbara

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Sciurus granatensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 118 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 25 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park?

February and April

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against about 10% in November, the lowest month. Those are among Arenal Volcano National Park's driest months, with about 170 mm of rain a month against 500 mm in November.

What time of day is best to see a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Arenal Volcano National Park the best place to see a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth?

12th of 20

Of the 20 parks where we can rate Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 12th at about 30%. The best odds are in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (Costa Rica, about 70%), Cahuita National Park (Costa Rica, about 70%) and Manuel Antonio National Park (Costa Rica, about 60%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth live in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Same order: Pilosa

The closest relatives of the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (order Pilosa, Sloths and Anteaters) are Brown-throated Sloth (about 50%) and Northern Tamandua (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth is recorded against all the mammals logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (118 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Arenal Volcano National Park

Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth

About the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth

Recent sightings of Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Arenal Volcano National Park

Brown-throated Sloth

Northern Tamandua

White-nosed Coati

Mantled Howler Monkey

Variegated Squirrel

Central American Agouti

Central American Spider Monkey

Collared Peccary

Central American White-faced Capuchin

Gabb's Cottontail

Tayra

Red-tailed Squirrel

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park?

When is the best time to see a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park?

What time of day is best to see a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth?

Is Arenal Volcano National Park the best place to see a Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth?

Which relatives of the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth live in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Where does the Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sighting chance come from?