世界上最慢的动物

世界上最慢的动物

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.

有些动物就是不着急。从树懒到蜗牛，从乌龟到鼻涕虫，这些都是世界上最慢的动物。当猎豹和灰狗等动物炫耀它们优雅的速度时，这些动物满足于缓步爬行，有时每分钟移动几英尺。

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.

这些动物行动迟缓，以致它们的几个名字成了懒惰的同义词。来看看自然界中最懒散的动物吧。

1. Three-Toed Sloth

三趾树懒

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.

树懒整天待在树梢上，几乎不动。将它们的嗜睡归咎于它们难以置信的低代谢率。这种缓慢的新陈代谢意味着它们只需要一些树叶和小树枝来提供营养。据《国家地理》报道，它们以每分钟6到8英尺的惊人速度移动，速度如此之慢以至于它们的外衣上都长出了藻类。

2. Garden Snail

花园蜗牛

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).

当你只有一只脚时，很难快速移动。普通的花园蜗牛有一个扁平的、肌肉发达的器官，推动它极其缓慢地沿着它有目的的路径前进。为了帮助自己移动，这种蜗牛会释放出一股粘液来减少摩擦力，据达德利动物园报道。这就是为什么你总能在花园蜗牛爬过的地方看到黏液的痕迹。一只蜗牛的最高速度是每秒1/2英寸(1.3厘米)，但是它的移动速度可以慢到大约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.

海星顶部坚硬，底部有许多微小的弯曲的管脚。这些小脚帮助海星抓住表面并四处移动。但它们的动作不是很快。根据美国国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)的数据，一只成年的向日葵海星可以用它所有的15000只管脚以每分钟1米(约1码)的旋风速度移动。

4. Giant Tortoise

巨大的乌龟

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.

巨龟有许多亚种生活在不同的岛屿上，但最著名的是巨型加拉帕戈斯龟。加拉帕戈斯陆龟是现存最大的陆龟物种，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."

对于哪种动物绝对是最慢的，人们并没有太多的共识。但是东肯塔基大学的生物学家Branley Allan Branson投票支持香蕉蛞蝓获得最高荣誉。他写道:“一只大香蕉蛞蝓被观察到在120分钟内覆盖6.5英寸。”“照这样的速度，乌龟看起来会跑得很快。”