Three-toed sloth by Scott Nielsen. 2011 National Wildlife Photo Contest entry.

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Of the two hosts, Hoda is a the more skittish when it comes to the animals I bring on the show, especially when it comes to touching or holding them.  So I was particularly proud of her this time around, as she bravely held out her hand to hold a creature that is actually venomous, an emperor scorpion.

Watch the segment and join me in congratulating Hoda on her bravery, which helped me get the message out that just because an animal has the ability to sting (or bite or scratch or whatever) doesn’t mean it needs to be unnecessarily feared,  just respected.

And of course, enjoy the other extraordinary wildlife I brought with me too!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cute animals can even make famous people turn into bowls of jelly!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Read about one NWF staff member’s visit to the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica and learn about the habitat fragmentation that threatens their survival.

Protesters carry an inflatable Keystone Xl pipeline around the White House during the Nov. 6th rally. (Photo: Marine Jaouen)

“More than 500,000 Americans have submitted comments opposing this tar sands pipeline,” said Jeremy Symons, Senior Vice President of the National Wildlife Federation. “Never before has there been this level of public opposition to a single energy project.” In a telephone conference call with reporters, the experts laid out the motivations of the pipeline backers, and explained the dangers posed by their efforts.

Faulty Jobs Claim

While Transcanada has been marketing its 20,000 new jobs claim since the beginning, the Cornell Global Labor Institute has debunked their claims. “A good portion of that money was already spent in Canada or has been spent in sourcing the materials or some of the land clearance issues,” said Sean Sweeney, director of the Cornell University Global Labor Institute.” Transcanada has informed the State Department that the project would create 2,500 to 4,600 direct construction jobs of a temporary nature.”

Labor unions agree that the nature of the project would be a step backwards for future clean energy jobs. Roger Toussaint, International Vice President of the Transport Workers Union, said, “the dangers of the pipeline are compelling and no one should believe the claims of, either the Republican leadership or the energy companies, with respect to the project being shovel ready or with respect to the number of jobs it’s going to produce.” Joe Uehlein, Board President of the Labor Network for Sustainability, agrees. “We can’t create jobs that are going to destroy our future. Every dollar spent on projects like KXL is a dollar not spent on the future.”

In addition, the possibility of an oil spill wouldbe devastating for an already fragile  economy. “U.S. government data shows that spill damage in 2010 alone approached a billion dollars,” said Sweeney, “and the cleanup operations, while they do create jobs, they are actually siphoning capital and resources away from other job creation projects and initiatives.”

Looking Out For a Clean Energy Future

Investment in pipelines like KXL would send the wrong message towards the pursuit of clean energy jobs. “Tar sands oil is corrosive and more dangerous to pipelines than regular oil, and tar sands pipelines are leaking across the nation at an unprecedented rate,” said Symons. In addition to tar sands being environmentally dangerous, they have the potential to deter future green sponsors “There’s a serious chilling effect on investors, both private and public, around the issue of green economic investments,” said Sweeney.

There’s no place for a Keystone XL rider in this tax bill. Like the folks who took this poor sloth off the highway, it’s time for us to remove this poison pill from this bill.

Click here to view the embedded video.

With their perpetual grins and curious gazes, these little guys can do no wrong.  Enjoy this week’s Mid-Week Refresh cute animal pick-me-up, featuring the upcoming documentary, “Too Cute! Baby Sloths” premiering on Animal Planet. And for more adorable babies, visit Slothville, home of all things sloth-related.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out Animal Planet’s premiere of “Too Cute! Baby Sloths” on December 17, 2011 at 8 pm EST.

This guy was "hanging around" outside our hotel one evening.

For those who have never seen a sloth, let me warn you, they are incredibly cute. As hinted by their name, sloths are very slow, very cautious animals. While some consider them to be lethargic creatures (in fact, the name for sloth in Spanish, perezoso, literally means “lazy”), they are in fact one of the most well adapted species on the planet.

Everything about them – their frightening long claws, their slow to react reflexes, and the extra vertebrae in their neck – helps them thrive in their arboreal habitat.

Of course, what goes up must come down. In the case of sloths, the animals are forced to ground about once a week to relieve themselves or to move to another tree. Watching a sloth move on land is like, well, watching paint dry. As NatGeo explains:

“On land, sloths’ weak hind legs provide no power and their long claws are a hindrance. They must dig into the earth with their front claws and use their strong front legs to pull themselves along, dragging their bellies across the ground.”

While this can be entertaining to watch when they are crossing a small distance in the forest, it is a terrifying thing to watch when they try to cross a road:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dangerous Crossings

As I learned at the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica, habitat fragmentation by roads and power lines is a threat to the country’s sloths. While the two species of sloth found in Costa Rica (Bradypus variegatus and Choloepus hoffmanni) are not classified as endangered, habitat loss has pushed other species like the jaguar to the brink of extinction.

A coyote crossing a road

In the U.S. it is not sloths and jaguars that suffer because of habitat fragmentation, but rather bears, deer, panthers, moose, salamanders and host of other species. The system of roads and highways in the U.S. often cuts directly through the network of paths wildlife use to access their basic survival needs.

When animals try to cross over a road to gain access to their essential feeding grounds, breeding areas, and shelter, it can be fatal to them and to the humans driving on the road. Making the problem worse is climate change, as even the slightest rise in average temperature can change an entire ecosystem–sometimes forcing wildlife species to move around to find habitat they like better.

To help wildlife find the pathways they need to migrate in latitude and elevation, NWF and partners have launched a program in Vermont called “Critical Paths for Wildlife.” The goals of the project include enhancing migration pathways, strengthening wildlife populations, and reducing animal-vehicle collisions. For anyone who has ever had a collision with wildlife (or even a near miss), it is easy to see how these types of programs are a “win-win” for people and wildlife.

After you read more about the Critical Paths (pdf) program and learn about the threats of habitat loss, check out NWF’s Certified Wildlife Habitat^® program to find out how you create habitat for wildlife in your own yard!

Finally, if you want an overload of sloth cuteness, watch this video.