Pale-throated sloths have a rounded head with a blunt nose and small external ears. The limbs are long and weak, with the arms being nearly twice the length of the hindlimbs. The hands and feet each have three digits, armed with long, arched claws, with the middle claw being the largest and most powerful. Males are in head-body length, with a short, , tail, and weigh from . However, the females are noticeably larger, being from in length, and weighing .