What is the slowest animal in the world?

Three-toed sloths can cover distances at just 1.6 km/h, although some studies suggest average speeds of several dozen meters per hour. (Photo: Kevin Schaefer via Getty Images)

Swift creatures often attract attention with their lightning speed. But what about those who prefer a leisurely pace of life?

“We're evolutionarily biased towards thinking that speed is an advantage,” said James MacLean, lead curator of ichthyology at London's Natural History Museum. “For many species, it's not a significant attribute.”

What living creature is considered the slowest on the planet? And how do you survive when speed is not part of your arsenal of abilities?

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Slow moving sea creatures

Although the question seems simple, the criteria for assessing speed vary. One method of comparison is to measure the time it takes to cover a distance. According to this approach, the slowest sea anemone would be considered to move at a speed of 10–25 cm/hour (0.00006–0.00015 mph), mostly when changing habitats, and otherwise remaining motionless.

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A close competitor to this sedentary organism is the pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae), which holds the title of the slowest fish. Its vertical orientation and miniature dorsal fin limit its mobility. “It would take it about an hour to cover five feet,” MacLean told Live Science.

However, this pace is ideal for the lifestyle of the seahorse, which spends most of its time attached by its tail to the sea grass, feeding on small crustaceans. “The food itself swims to it, eliminating the need for speed,” the expert added. Additional protection is provided by bone plates that reduce the interest of predators.

According to MacLean, the only time the birds really get active is during the mating season. “Their synchronized dance can go on for hours, becoming the highlight of their lives.”

In the ocean depths, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) reaches 7.3 meters in length, moving at a speed of 3 km/h. Cold waters and a scavenging lifestyle explain its leisurely pace: “For its ecological niche, high speed is excessive,” the specialist explained.

The giant Galapagos tortoise has been clocked at speeds of around 0.26 km/h. Land record holders for slowness

John Ablett, curator of malacology, calls the banana slug the land champion, with a speed of 0.0096 km/h. “Many molluscs become completely inactive as adults,” he noted in correspondence. However, some species, such as the garden snail (Cornu aspersum), can reach speeds of up to 0.048 km/h.

The giant Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis niger) moves 17 times slower than a human. The tree-dwelling primates slow lorises (Nycticebus) live up to their name, moving at up to 1.8 km/h, remaining motionless for long periods.

Slow lorises exhibit smooth movements, true to their name. Relative speed and adaptations

Biologist Rory Wilson from Swansea University suggests taking into account the ratio of speed and body size. For example, an ant is faster than a human relative to its size. Some snakes combine slow gliding with lightning-fast attacks.

All things considered, the three-toed sloth (Bradypus) emerges as the clear winner. “Their response to stimuli and general agility are astonishingly slow,” Wilson noted. Watching wild individuals perform movements reminiscent of tai chi.

To compensate for their slow speed, sloths have developed camouflage and three times the strength of humans. Their slow metabolism allows them to survive on a low-calorie diet, digesting food for weeks and only coming down from the trees to defecate.

“Their strategy is minimalism: saving energy through limited activity,” the scientist explained. This adaptation turned slowness into an evolutionary advantage.