Lincoln Park Zoo announces addition of Solana the Hoffmann's two-toed sloth

The Lincoln Park Zoo announced Wednesday that it was offering a "slow and sleepy welcome" to its newest animal resident.

Solana is an adolescent female Hoffmann's two-toed sloth. She lives in the Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House with her habitat mate, Oro.

The zoo said Selena is almost 2 years old, and came to the Lincoln Park Zoo from another accredited zoo. She was placed with Oro on a breeding recommendation through the Hoffman's Two-Toed Sloth Species Survival Plan, which was developed by institutions that are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The hope is that the pair will mate and procreate down the line, the zoo said.

 "Getting to know a new animal's personality is always a highlight of the job for animal care staff, and Solana's team has noticed that she's a particularly curious sloth who interacts well with her care team and Oro," curator Dan Boehm said in a news release. "Just like us, many animals have food preferences and Solana is no different. She loves watermelon and eggplant!"

Hoffman's two-toed sloths have a native range in Central and South America. They live in trees in both tropical rainforests and deciduous forests, and can use their claws to hang upside-down from tree branches.

Sloths sleep up to 20 hours a day, and often remain still when awake. They mate one a year, and females have an 11-month gestation period before giving birth, all up in the trees.