Fauna
Mammal · GBIF taxon 8537552

Giant Ground Sloth

Megatherium americanum

Also known as Megatherium, American Ground Sloth

Megatherium americanum was a colossal terrestrial herbivore that rivaled modern elephants in bulk and stood among the largest land mammals of the Pleistocene epoch. Anchored by a massive pelvis and broad tail, it could rear up into a stable bipedal tripod to pull down tree branches using massive curved claws and a prehensile lip. Its disappearance roughly 10,000 years ago coincided with changing post-glacial climates and the arrival of skilled human hunters across South America.

PrehistoricHerbivore
Giant Ground Sloth reference
Licensed reference(c) Biodiversity Heritage Library, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Tree foliage
  • Shrub leaves
  • Coarse grasses
Predators
  • Smilodon populator
  • Early humans (Homo sapiens)
ThreatsOverhunting by early humans and climatic warming during the Quaternary extinction event
HabitatsPleistocene grasslands, pampas, scrub woodlands, and savannas
Life spanEstimated 20–30 years
Classification
  1. FamilyMegatheriidae
  2. SpeciesMegatherium americanum
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Extinct species; known exclusively through fossils and paleontological remains.
Responsible observation
  • Museum viewing: Observe fossilized skeletal mounts in major natural history museums to appreciate its elephantine scale.
  • Fossil reporting: Leave any exposed fossil deposits in South American sediments undisturbed and report them to academic paleontologists.
Related species
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