世界上最慢的動物

世界上最慢的動物

Some animals just aren’t in a hurry. From sloths to snails, tortoises to slugs, these are some of the slowest animals in the world. While animals like the cheetah and greyhound show off their graceful speed, these creatures are content to amble and creep, moving sometimes just a few feet per minute.

有些動物就是不著急。從樹懶到蝸牛，從烏龜?shù)奖翘橄x，這些都是世界上最慢的動物。當(dāng)獵豹和灰狗等動物炫耀它們優(yōu)雅的速度時，這些動物滿足于緩步爬行，有時每分鐘移動幾英尺。

Sloths move at a pace of about 6 to 8 feet per minute.Kevin Schafer / Getty Images

These animals are so slow that several of their names have become synonymous with idleness. Meet some of nature’s most lackadaisical critters.

這些動物行動遲緩，以致它們的幾個名字成了懶惰的同義詞。來看看自然界中最懶散的動物吧。

1. Three-Toed Sloth

三趾樹懶

Sloths have very long arms, but short shoulder blades.Juan Carlos Vindas / Getty Images

Sloths spend their days in the treetops, barely moving. Blame their lethargy on their incredibly low metabolic rate. That slow metabolism means they only need a few leaves and twigs for nutrition. They travel at a breakneck pace of 6 to 8 feet per minute, reports National Geographic, moving so slow that algae grows on their coats.

樹懶整天待在樹梢上，幾乎不動。將它們的嗜睡歸咎于它們難以置信的低代謝率。這種緩慢的新陳代謝意味著它們只需要一些樹葉和小樹枝來提供營養(yǎng)。據(jù)《國家地理》報道，它們以每分鐘6到8英尺的驚人速度移動，速度如此之慢以至于它們的外衣上都長出了藻類。

2. Garden Snail

花園蝸牛

Garden snails release mucus to help them move.NooMUboN / Getty Images

When you only have one foot, it’s difficult to move very quickly. The common garden snail has a flat, muscular organ that propels it extremely slowly along its purposeful path. To help it move, the snail releases a stream of mucus to reduce friction, reports the Dudley Zoo. That’s why you always see a trail of slime in a garden snail’s wake. A garden snail’s top speed is 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) per second, but it can move as slowly as about 1/10 of an inch (.28 centimeters).

當(dāng)你只有一只腳時，很難快速移動。普通的花園蝸牛有一個扁平的、肌肉發(fā)達的器官，推動它極其緩慢地沿著它有目的的路徑前進。為了幫助自己移動，這種蝸牛會釋放出一股粘液來減少摩擦力，據(jù)達德利動物園報道。這就是為什么你總能在花園蝸牛爬過的地方看到黏液的痕跡。一只蝸牛的最高速度是每秒1/2英寸(1.3厘米)，但是它的移動速度可以慢到大約1/10英寸。28厘米)。

3. Starfish

海星

Tiny tube-like feet help the sea star move about a yard per minute.Diana Robinson Photography / Getty Images

Sea stars are hard on top with many little wiggly tube feet on the bottom. Those tiny feet help the starfish grasp surfaces and move around. But they don’t move very fast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an adult sunflower sea star can move at the whirlwind pace of one meter (about one yard) per minute using all 15,000 of its helpful tube feet.

海星頂部堅硬，底部有許多微小的彎曲的管腳。這些小腳幫助海星抓住表面并四處移動。但它們的動作不是很快。根據(jù)美國國家海洋和大氣管理局(NOAA)的數(shù)據(jù)，一只成年的向日葵海星可以用它所有的15000只管腳以每分鐘1米(約1碼)的旋風(fēng)速度移動。

4. Giant Tortoise

巨大的烏龜

The giant Galapagos tortoise can live for 150 years or more.Paul Souders / Getty Images

There are many subspecies of giant tortoises that live on various islands, but the most famous is the giant Galapagos tortoise. The largest living tortoise species, the Galapagos can live for 150 years or more.

巨龜有許多亞種生活在不同的島嶼上，但最著名的是巨型加拉帕戈斯龜。加拉帕戈斯陸龜是現(xiàn)存最大的陸龜物種，可以活150年甚至更久。

5. Banana Slug

香蕉蛞蝓

Banana slugs secrete dry granules of mucus as they crawl.Ed Reschke / Getty Images

There’s not a lot of agreement about which animal is the absolute slowest. But University of Eastern Kentucky biologist Branley Allan Branson voted for the banana slug to win top honors. "A large banana slug has been observed to cover 6.5 inches in 120 minutes,” he wrote. “At that rate, a tortoise would seem fleet-footed."

對于哪種動物絕對是最慢的，人們并沒有太多的共識。但是東肯塔基大學(xué)的生物學(xué)家Branley Allan Branson投票支持香蕉蛞蝓獲得最高榮譽。他寫道:“一只大香蕉蛞蝓被觀察到在120分鐘內(nèi)覆蓋6.5英寸。”“照這樣的速度，烏龜看起來會跑得很快。”