1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: Guess what will? What's that man? Go? Did you know 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: that slots are really good swimmers? I actually didn't know that. 3 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I've seen photos of them in water, and 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: even though I've seen slots in person, we got the 5 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: chance to go to Costa Rica, I never saw them 6 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: doing their the little doggy paddle, and I saw them 7 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: doing on the video. Yeah, I mean, they definitely look 8 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: cute but not particularly graceful. But I was actually shocked 9 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 1: to learn they're actually really strong swimmers. And apparently they 10 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: moved three times as fast and water as they do 11 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: on land, which I know isn't great, but it's an improvement. Yeah, 12 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: I guess so. And also they can hold their breath 13 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 1: underwater for forty minutes. No, that's impressive. Yeah. But my 14 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 1: favorite thing I learned is that because they're so slow 15 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: to move on land, sometimes slots will just dive bomb 16 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: from a tree limb that's overhang over some water, just 17 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: so that they can shorten their commute to the pool. 18 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: Isn't that great? It's pretty impressive. And that's just one 19 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: of nine facts we've got on today's show about slots. 20 00:00:50,280 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: Let's dig in. Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson. 21 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: As always, I'm joined by my good friend Man Guesh 22 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: Ticketer and sitting behind the soundproof glass thumbing through an 23 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: old copy of Ranger Rick. That's our Brendon producer Tristan McNeil. 24 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: Has been a while since I've seen a copy of up. 25 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: And we were supposed to have Gabe on the line, 26 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: as we often do for nine Things, but Gabe is 27 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: home with a pretty nasty cold. That's the first time 28 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: he's called in sick. Yeah, well, we wish him well, 29 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: but actually he sent me his facts. He decided to 30 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: go ahead and do the research, but he said he'd 31 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: sound a little too stopped up if he were to 32 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: join us. So I'm gonna play the role of Gabe today. 33 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: All right, here we go. So can I start us 34 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: off as well? I'm gonna start us off as me good. 35 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: All right, here we go. My first fact that I found. So, 36 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: you know one thing, these mini Chewbaccas aren't slow at 37 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: We've talked about how slow they are, but not at mating. 38 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,639 Speaker 1: And actually, according to Public Radio, the whole mating ritual 39 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: is done in about five seconds, and that includes the 40 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 1: four plays. So you're probably wondering, how does this work, 41 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: you know, in case your parents didn't teach you about 42 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,639 Speaker 1: the birds and the sloths. The female sloth barks out 43 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: of scream when she's in heat, and then the male 44 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: slots come racing over to court her, or race as 45 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: fast as they can't. There's they're slots. They're not swimming over. 46 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: So but the slots are so good at sex, or 47 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: or at least productive at it, that at the Slot 48 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: Sanctuary in Costa Rica, Slot sex is the one thing 49 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: that's actually forbidden. They're too good at it, and the 50 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: sanctuary does not need any more babies. That's so ridiculous. 51 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: That's pretty good, all right, Gay, What do you have next? 52 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: Oh well, I'm Gabe and here's my next fact. So 53 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: if you love avocados, you should thank a sloth. According 54 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: to Smithsonian, giant ground sloughs used to roam the earth 55 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 1: during the Cenozoic era, and the creatures were massive, about 56 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 1: the size of ups trucks actually. But the creatures love 57 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: the avocado, and along with a few other massive animals 58 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: like mammoths, they would eat the fruit whole for a snack. 59 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,959 Speaker 1: Then they would deposit the seed miles away as they traveled, 60 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: all of which helped to keep the avocado around. I'll 61 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: remember to thank us lot the next time I see 62 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: one pretty good fact from gay, don't you think? Yeah? 63 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: Great reading? All right, Okay, so I've got another fact 64 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: for you. So I'm sure you know this, but early 65 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: descriptions of this slot weren't favorable at all, and according 66 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: to Atlas Obscura, one of the early nineteenth century natural 67 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:31,639 Speaker 1: history books, described them as I've got the quote here, 68 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: imperfect monsters of creation, equally remarkable in their disgusting appearance 69 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: and helpless condition. Pretty rough. And while there's leny of 70 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: debate over whether slots are cute or not, I mean 71 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: you see all sorts of debate on the internet, one 72 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: thing you can't dispute is how they smell, which is good, really, Yeah, 73 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: because there's such slow moving creatures, they actually don't need 74 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: sweat glands, and not stinking is actually useful to them 75 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: because it keeps predators off their scent. Yeah. So, so 76 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: you're probably wondering what do they actually smell like? And 77 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: answer is trees. Mostly they just pick up the scent 78 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: of wherever they're at, which means their fur gets coated 79 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: in tree staff And basically they smell like air freshener. Wow, 80 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: that's pretty good. But actually it leads into my next 81 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: fact because while they might smell good, I do need 82 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 1: to remind you they are covered in algae. Sometimes you'll 83 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: see them turn the kind of this greenish tint, and 84 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: especially during the rainy season, And it's because they're basically 85 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: part of the trees. But the algae does have some 86 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 1: benefits to the sloth. It it kind of helps them camouflage. Also, 87 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: slows occasionally snack on the algae as a quick treat, 88 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: and they might even absorb the nutrients from the algae 89 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: into their skin. But that said, the algae isn't the 90 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: only thing hanging out on the sloth, so moths sometimes 91 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: live in there fur as well. That's pretty good. Alright, Gabe, 92 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: your next fact? Okay, Well I'm Gabe, and my next 93 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: fact goes like this. While they are definitely slow moving, 94 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: wild slots aren't in the same category as koalas those 95 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: lazy beast sleep eighteen hours a day. Also, I do 96 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: just want to say, because slaws tend to be slow moving, 97 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: when they move, it's it's pretty efficient. They're always calculating 98 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: the fastest way to get somewhere so that they don't 99 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: need to backtrack as they go, you know, maybe forty 100 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 1: from one tree top to another. But back to the 101 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: sleepy part about them, slaws only sleep about nine hours 102 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: a day in the wild, which isn't that much more 103 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: than most humans. And for the record, this is a 104 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: fairly recent discovery, coming in the last decade or so, 105 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: when some scientists put brain caps on them to monitor 106 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: their brain waves. And that said, what once slaws are 107 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: living the good life in captivity, they do tend to 108 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 1: take advantage of the situation and taking a few more 109 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: hours of rest. I like that fact. Game All right, 110 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: thanks for what's your next one? So, uh, this is 111 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 1: what I thought was pretty funny. Slots have all sorts 112 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: of strange biological features, right, They have these conical teeth. 113 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: They're related to armadillo and ant eaters, but according to 114 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: bo Boing, their family tree diverge from those lines about 115 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 1: seventy to eighty million years ago. But the weirdest thing 116 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: to me about them is that they really don't get 117 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: fat in a traditional way. So this is again from 118 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: boo but most mammals have fat tucked around their bodies, 119 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: but when a slot gets obese. They hold that extra 120 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 1: weight and fat deposits in their feet. In their feet, 121 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: you know that they got fat feet something kind of like. 122 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: It's both cute and disgusting at the same time, and 123 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: useless fat fat, it's fun to say. That's all right. Well, 124 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: I know we've talked about this before, but no discussion 125 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: of sloth biology is complete without a little discussion of 126 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: their pooh dances, which I know we've both seen videos 127 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: of before, and and slots, which which kind of live 128 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 1: in this natural state of constipation. At least according to 129 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 1: the Washington Post, they shimmy down their trees once a 130 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: week to pooh, but the way they do it is 131 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: pretty funny. So they sort of cling to the tree 132 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: and shake their hips, slowly dancing it out of their 133 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 1: system in one slow, long co of it. But the 134 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: big question is why don't they just go from the trees, 135 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: especially when leaving the tree is actually a dangerous activity 136 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: for them. That's when the eagles plucked them off for 137 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: other predators tend to notice them. But there are a 138 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: few theories why so. Some people think it has to 139 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: do with mating and attracting a mate to a particular tree. 140 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: Some people think it has to do with the moths 141 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: on their bodies, because the moths lay eggs in their feces. 142 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: But personally, I think the sloth just enjoys a little 143 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: dance party of lave. You know, I just need to dance. 144 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, pooh, I guess. So that's my last fact. Okay, Gay, 145 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: time to close it for us. Here we go last one. Well, 146 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: this is a little off topic, but I'm sure you 147 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: remember the characters Sloth from the Goonies Las. Yeah. Well, 148 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: if you're wondering what happened to him after the movie, 149 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: which I know we all have wondered at some point, 150 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: the IMDb has you covered. According to the novelization of 151 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: the movie, Chunk's parents adopted Sloth and even through him 152 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: a bar mets, so he's truly a man. Now that's 153 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: not a great fact, mean, Gabe closing the show with 154 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: a great fact about one of my favorite movies as 155 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: a kid. So I feel like we need to give 156 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: him the trophy. Yeah, so, Gabe, if you're listening, feel better. 157 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: Thank you for the fact, and we'll be back tomorrow 158 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 1: with another episode.