Rebecca Cliffe

File:Sloth backpack project.jpg

Cliffe was born in 1990 in Preston, England. Cliffe received her bachelor's degree in Zoology from the University of Manchester. She later went on to obtain a PhD in Bioscience (specializing in sloths) from Swansea University.{{Cite web|last=Nicholls|first=Henry|title=The truth about sloths|url=https://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20140916-the-truth-about-sloths|access-date=2020-07-22|website=www.bbc.com|language=en}} As part of her PhD research, she conducted the longest recorded study on wild sloth ecology (The Sloth Backpack Project{{Cite journal |last=Leeming |first=Jack |date=2022-07-18 |title=Slow science: how I'm protecting sloth species |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01963-x |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=607 |issue=7919 |pages=628 |doi=10.1038/d41586-022-01963-x|pmid=35851873 |bibcode=2022Natur.607..628L |url-access=subscription }}).{{Cite web|last=olsone|first=Eric R. Olson {{!}}|title=Why Are These Sloths Wearing Tiny Backpacks? {{!}} Blog {{!}} Nature|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/sloths-wearing-tiny-backpacks/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620194943/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/sloths-wearing-tiny-backpacks/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 20, 2017|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Nature|language=en-US}}

She has published various studies on the ecology, biology, and physiology of sloths which have provided new insights about these poorly understood species.{{Cite journal|last1=Cliffe|first1=Rebecca N.|last2=Haupt|first2=Ryan J.|last3=Avey-Arroyo|first3=Judy A.|last4=Wilson|first4=Rory P.|date=2015|title=Sloths like it hot: ambient temperature modulates food intake in the brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus)|journal=PeerJ|volume=3|pages=e875|doi=10.7717/peerj.875|issn=2167-8359|pmc=4389270|pmid=25861559 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal|last1=Cliffe|first1=Rebecca N.|last2=Avey-Arroyo|first2=Judy A.|last3=Arroyo|first3=Francisco J.|last4=Holton|first4=Mark D.|last5=Wilson|first5=Rory P.|date=2014-04-30|title=Mitigating the squash effect: sloths breathe easily upside down|journal=Biology Letters|volume=10|issue=4|pages=20140172|doi=10.1098/rsbl.2014.0172|pmc=4013704|pmid=24759371}}{{Cite journal|last1=Ishibashi|first1=Shoko|last2=Cliffe|first2=Rebecca|last3=Amaya|first3=Enrique|date=2012-12-15|title=Highly efficient bi-allelic mutation rates using TALENs in Xenopus tropicalis|journal=Biology Open|language=en|volume=1|issue=12|pages=1273–1276|doi=10.1242/bio.20123228|issn=2046-6390|pmid=23408158|pmc=3558749|doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal|last1=Cliffe|first1=Rebecca N.|last2=Haupt|first2=Ryan J.|last3=Avey-Arroyo|first3=Judy A.|last4=Wilson|first4=Rory P.|date=2015-04-02|title=Sloths like it hot: ambient temperature modulates food intake in the brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus)|journal=PeerJ|language=en|volume=3|pages=e875|doi=10.7717/peerj.875|pmid=25861559|pmc=4389270|issn=2167-8359|doi-access=free}} Due to her in-depth research and first-hand observations in the field she is considered to be an expert on sloths and their behavior.{{Cite web|last=Schardt|first=Hannah|date=|title=Spying on Sloths|url=https://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Kids/Ranger%20Rick/Spreads/SlothsSept2015.pdf|access-date=|website=National Wildlife Federation}}{{Cite web|last=Manaster|first=Joanne|title=Lucky Field Researcher Witnesses Birth of Sloth! Happy International Day of the Sloth!|url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/psi-vid/lucky-field-researcher-witnesses-birth-of-sloth-happy-international-day-of-the-sloth/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Scientific American Blog Network|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2019-04-02|title=Audio: Debunking myths about sloths is crucial to stopping the sloth crisis|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/audio-debunking-myths-about-sloths-is-crucial-to-stopping-the-sloth-crisis/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Mongabay Environmental News|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|author=Dominic Rech|title=A rare video captured the heart-stopping moment a sloth gave birth in a tree|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/falling-sloth-baby-intl-scn/index.html|access-date=2020-07-22|website=CNN|date=3 March 2020 |language=en}}

She was featured in the Discovery Channel series “Meet the Sloths.”{{Cite web|title=Meet The Sloths|url=https://www.discoveryuk.com/series/meet-the-sloths/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Discovery UK|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Galeazzi|first=Linda|date=2018-12-12|title=Dream Job Alert: Becky Cliffe Is Saving Sloths For A Living|url=https://faze.ca/dream-job-alert-becky-cliffe-saving-sloths/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Faze|language=en-US}} She also was a part of the documentary "72 Dangerous Animals: Latin America” and featured in Animal Planet's “Too Cute! Baby Sloths.”{{Citation|title=The Freaks|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt8019900/|access-date=2020-07-22}}{{Cite web|title=Too Cute! {{!}} Watch Full Episodes & More!|url=https://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/too-cute/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Animal Planet|language=en-US}}

In 2017, Cliffe founded The Sloth Conservation Foundation a registered non-profit organisation that is dedicated to saving sloths in the wild and has served as executive director since its inception.{{Cite web|title=BBC Radio 4 - Radio 4 in Four - 10 incredible facts about the sloth|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/34C4dGp1kqnbs5MT7TZQN44/10-incredible-facts-about-the-sloth|access-date=2020-07-22|website=BBC|language=en-GB}} She continues to publish research on the biology, ecology and physiology of sloths.{{Cite web|last=@NatGeoUK|date=2018-10-01|title=Sloths Act Like Birds and Reptiles in This Bizarre Way|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2018/10/sloths-act-birds-and-reptiles-bizarre-way|access-date=2020-07-22|website=National Geographic|language=en-gb}}{{Cite web|last=Solly|first=Meilan|title=Sloths Don't Just Live in Slow-Mo, They Can Put Their Metabolism On Pause|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sloths-can-temporarily-shut-down-their-metabolism-180970446/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en}}{{Cite journal|last1=Olson|first1=Rachel A.|last2=Glenn|first2=Zachary D.|last3=Cliffe|first3=Rebecca N.|last4=Butcher|first4=Michael T.|date=2018-12-01|title=Architectural Properties of Sloth Forelimb Muscles (Pilosa: Bradypodidae)|journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution|language=en|volume=25|issue=4|pages=573–588|doi=10.1007/s10914-017-9411-z|s2cid=22238582|issn=1573-7055}}{{Cite journal|last1=Cliffe|first1=Rebecca Naomi|last2=Scantlebury|first2=David Michael|last3=Kennedy|first3=Sarah Jane|last4=Avey-Arroyo|first4=Judy|last5=Mindich|first5=Daniel|last6=Wilson|first6=Rory Paul|date=2018-09-19|title=The metabolic response of the Bradypus sloth to temperature|journal=PeerJ|language=en|volume=6|pages=e5600|doi=10.7717/peerj.5600|pmid=30258712|pmc=6151113|issn=2167-8359|doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal|last1=Spainhower|first1=Kyle B.|last2=Cliffe|first2=Rebecca N.|last3=Metz|first3=Allan K.|last4=Barkett|first4=Ernest M.|last5=Kiraly|first5=Paije M.|last6=Thomas|first6=Dylan R.|last7=Kennedy|first7=Sarah J.|last8=Avey-Arroyo|first8=Judy A.|last9=Butcher|first9=Michael T.|date=2018-05-03|title=Cheap labor: myosin fiber type expression and enzyme activity in the forelimb musculature of sloths (Pilosa: Xenarthra)|journal=Journal of Applied Physiology|volume=125|issue=3|pages=799–811|doi=10.1152/japplphysiol.01118.2017|pmid=29722617|issn=8750-7587|doi-access=free}} In 2022 she was selected as one of the winners of the prestigious Future For Nature award, and she used the prize money to train the first scat detection dog for sloth population monitoring.{{Cite web |title=Sloth Population Census with Scat Detection Dogs {{!}} SloCo |url=https://slothconservation.org/sloth-population-detection-dog/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=The Sloth Conservation Foundation |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-03-18 |title=Sloth, giant armadillo, and fishing cat conservationists win Future for Nature Award 2022 |url=https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/sloth-giant-armadillo-and-fishing-cat-conservationists-win-future-for-nature-award-2022/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Mongabay Environmental News |language=en-US}}

In 2023, Cliffe's work with The Sloth Conservation Foundation was featured on NBC's Today show {{Cite web |title=Lazy or just energy-efficient? Get to know everything about sloths |url=https://www.today.com/video/lazy-or-just-energy-efficient-get-to-know-everything-about-sloths-190542917584 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}} and 60 Minutes.{{Cite web |last=Alfonsi |first=Sharyn |date=2023-12-24 |title=Sloths turn survival of the fittest upside down {{!}} 60 Minutes - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sloths-survival-worlds-slowest-mammal-60-minutes-transcript/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}} Her story has also been turned into a children's storybook "The Adventures of Dr. Sloth" by award-winning wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas.{{Cite book |url=https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/21245 |title=The Adventures of Dr. Sloth: Rebecca Cliffe and Her Quest to Protect Sloths |language=en-US}}

On July 25, 2024, Dr. Rebecca Cliffe, was awarded the honorary title of 'Doctor of Science' by Swansea University in Wales,Doctor of Science' in recognition of her groundbreaking work in research and conservation.

In 2023, Cliffe married wildlife cameraman Alex (Lex) Jones whom she met while filming sloths for Disney's "A Real Bug's Life" series.{{Cite web |title=Episode 102 - "Welcome to the Jungle" |url=https://press.disneyplus.com/disney-plus/a-real-bugs-life/102 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Disney Plus Press |language=en}}

• [https://slothconservation.com/ The Sloth Conservation Foundation]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cliffe, Rebecca}}

Category:British women zoologists

Category:Scientists from Preston, Lancashire

Category:1990 births

Category:21st-century British zoologists

Category:Sloths

Category:Alumni of the University of Manchester

Category:Alumni of Swansea University

Category:Living people

Category:English women biologists