Meet Alface! A Two-Toed Sloth Settles Into Her New Home at Shedd Aquarium

For the first time in more than 20 years, Shedd Aquarium is now home to a slow-moving, charismatic resident: Alface, a Linné’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus). As an ambassador for her species, Alface will help guests at the aquarium connect deeper with wildlife from the Amazon Rainforest and learn about the threats facing this critical ecosystem.

Alface (pronounced al-FAH-see) was born at Dallas Zoo in 2023 as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. In September 2025, Alface found a new home at Shedd. Her name means “lettuce” in Portuguese, which was the first solid food the sloth ate as a baby and the language primarily spoken in her native range in South America. Along with her namesake, Alface’s diet also includes a variety of greens, vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes, grapes and mangos. Since her arrival, Alface has been exploring her habitat behind the scenes and building relationships with her animal caretakers during regular training sessions.

“Once she’s ready, we’re excited to bring Alface face-to-face with guests, inspiring them to care for sloths and the other animals that call the Amazon Rainforest home,” said Katie Majerowski, manager of animal engagement. “Every encounter with an animal at Shedd can be the spark that inspires conservation action, which truly brings the aquarium's mission to life.”

In the Amazon River Basin, Linné’s two-toed sloths spend most of their lives in the tree canopy, sleeping up to 15 hours per day and digesting food very slowly. Two-toed sloths rely on their habitat for survival, but these animals and many others are threatened by deforestation and habitat destruction. At Shedd, Alface helps raise awareness for the challenges facing her species, the importance of responsible ecotourism and the impacts of the exotic pet trade.

Linné’s two-toed sloths also demonstrate the incredible biodiversity in the Amazon River Basin. These animals are walking ecosystems of their own – their coarse fur not only keeps them warm and dry in rainy weather, but it’s also home to algae and various insects. In fact, the algae growth in sloths’ fur gives the slow-moving mammals a greenish tint, helping them to camouflage in the treetops.

Along with Alface, Shedd is home to around 40 public engagement animals who connect with guests up-close at pop-ups around the aquarium, after-hours events, in classrooms and throughout the community, creating memorable connections with nature beyond Shedd’s exhibits. With surprise-and-delight animal connections, daily animal chats with Shedd experts and living ecosystems that are always changing, every visit to the aquarium is unique.

VISUALS: Find high-resolution photos and broadcast quality video here: https://personal.filesanywhere.com/guest/fs?v=8e706a8c5d6771b0a396&C=50

Photo Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez

Video Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Samuel RC Elia