Natal dispersal of tree sloths in a human-dominated landscape: implications for tropical biodiversity conservation

1. Habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from the conversion of tropical forests are among the most important threats to biodiversity globally. Habitat specialists and species with low dispersal capacity are expected to be the most sensitive to such changes. Relatively little is known, however, about how habitat change and life history interact to impact natal dispersal and population viability in tropical species. 2. Here, we characterized natal dispersal patterns, habitat selection, and survival rates in two-toed (Choloepus hoffmanni) and three-toed (Bradypus variegatus) sloths within a human-dominated tropical landscape in Costa Rica consisting of a shade-grown cacao plantation surrounded by riparian forests and cattle pastures. 3. Radio-marked individuals of both species preferentially selected tropical forests during natal dispersal and were commonly observed using riparian forest buffers for dispersal. The more specialized and sedentary three-toed sloth, however, avoided both p...