The Giant Ground Sloth
Megatherium was an enormous ground sloth that lived during the Ice Age, around 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago.
| Meaning | Great beast [Mega–therium] |
| Pronunciation | MEG-ah-THEE-ree-um |
| When: | Pleistocene (about 2 million–10,000 years ago) |
| Where: | South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia) |
| What: | Mammal (herbivorous) |
| Weight: | Estimated around 4 metric tons |
| Length: | Approximately 6 meters (20 feet) |
| Diet: | Herbivorous (ate leaves, shrubs, and other vegetation) |
| Discovered: | First described by Georges Cuvier in 1796 |
It was one of the largest land mammals of its time, about the size of an elephant.
Megatherium had long claws and a massive body, reaching up to 6 meters (20 feet) in length and weighing several tons.
Despite its size, Megatherium was herbivorous, feeding on plants and leaves in the forests of South America where it lived.