Overview
Megatherium is a largest known species of ground sloth. Megatherium is a marvellous name but all it means is a big animal but it is better known as Giant Ground Sloth.
The Giant Ground Sloth was an animal once run the garcons of South America 10 thousand years ago. Megatherium was mostly found in the woodlands and grasslands of North and South America.
Ever since its discovered in brazil 1789 there are lot of misunderstanding continued. Megatherium was the first animal to disappear to the period of extinction that continues today.
Megatherium Time Period
It lived from the Pliocene to the end of Pleistocene/ start of Halogene. They died out in the last ice age.
Megatherium Height and weight
It has huge claws it has 6m from nose to tail and when it standing up it was larger than a modern elephant and it weighs more than an elephant a very different beast from its distant relatives than gentle tree sloths.
Legs and Tail
Its long muscular tail along with its two legs created a tripod to balance on its legs were capable of bipedal movement.
Megatherium Defensive Capabilities
Half tooth moves cautiously also best in impressive defensive, small bones beneath his skin act like chain mail and adults indestructible
Megatherium Eating Capabilities
It is primarily a herbivore but possibly omnivorous. It has strong jaw, long tongue and long tongues , long claws helped it to eat larger variety of food. It eat plants like the other ground sloths.
Megatherium Global Location
It was typically found in the semiarid or temperature climates. It prefers to open area to reside. Megatherium was mostly found in the woodlands and grasslands of North and South America. It mostly likes to be lived in groups but it may have lived singly in caves.
Megatherium food Source
It was known to be a herbivore open habitats feeding on leaves and could eat the vegetation in tree, however its claws also were able to dig up plant roots.
Some scientists have hypothesised that these sloths scavenged for meat or even hunted. But these claims little evidence to support them.
Evolution
Megatherium can draw its lineage back to the Therizinosaurs, like Megatherium had a very long claws and was an herbivore. The silky anteater was the intermediate stage between Megatherium and modern tree sloths.
The rhinoceros-sized promegatherium of the Miocene is suggested as the ancestor of Megatherium.
Did Megatherium eat meat?
As of scientist researched they concluded that they don’t eat meat and they are herbivorous and they are vegetarian diet.