Megatherium

extinct animal · South America · giant sloth · ice age

Truly enormous. Megatherium americanum weighed about 3.5 to 4 tonnes, roughly as heavy as an African elephant. It was one of the biggest land mammals that ever lived.

South American giant. These massive sloths lived only in South America, from the grassy Pampas down through Patagonia and up into Bolivia. They roamed these lands for millions of years before disappearing.

Ancient ice age creature. Megatherium lived from millions of years ago until about 11,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. Humans and these giant sloths walked the Earth at the same time.

Ground sloth family. Unlike today's tree sloths that hang from branches, Megatherium was a ground sloth that walked on all fours and probably stood up on its hind legs to reach leaves high in trees.

Different sizes. While the famous Megatherium americanum was elephant-sized, other species in the genus were smaller, with some weighing only about 1 tonne. Even the smaller ones were still giants compared to modern animals.