Megatherium

Megatherium
Classification
Name	Megatherium americanum
Name Meaning	Giant Beast
Species	Ground Sloth
Family	Megatheriidae
Diet	Herbivore
Physiology
Description	Giant ground sloth with large claws and armor-plated skin
Attributes	Large size; long claws; armor-plated skin
Height	4.1 m (13.45 ft)
Length	7.4 m (24.27 ft)
Weight	3 t (6,613 lb)
Biography
Era	Early to Late Pleistocene
Time	1 MYA to 10 TYA
Discovered	1788
Locations	South America

“	A sloth. But this is no ordinary sloth. This is Megatherium, a giant ground sloth.	„
	— Allen, about Megatherium in Saving the Sabre Tooth

Megatherium (name meaning "Giant Beast"), sometimes called the Giant Ground Sloth, is a genus of elephant-sized ground sloth that originated during the Pleistocene epoch in what is now South America. Measuring 7 meters long and weighing 3 tons, it was one of the largest megafaunal mammals of all time.

In the Series 3 episode "Saving the Sabre Tooth," a pair of Megatherium were brought to the park from Early Pleistocene South America, 1 million years ago. Three adolescents were also rescued after following the group through the portal. They reside in the Ape-Man Jungle Enclosure with other animals such as the ape ancestors of humans.

Facts

Era & Discovery

Megatherium lived in South America over 1 million years ago during the Middle Pleistocene. They shared their environments with other Ice Age animals like Smilodon, Phorusrhacos, Macrauchenia, Doedicurus, Toxodon, Arctotherium, Cuvieronius and Glyptodon. Megatherium died out around 8,000 years ago, during the Holocene epoch.

The first fossil specimen of Megatherium was discovered in 1788 by Manuel Torres, on the bank of the Luján River in Argentina.

Physical Attributes

Megatherium skeleton

A South American xenarthran possessing giant claws on their hands, Megatherium was far from being a normal sloth. They measured over 16 – 26 feet (5 – 8 m) in length, stood 13 feet (4 m) tall, and weighed 3 tons (6,000 lbs.), more than an adult elephant; a very different beast from their distant relatives, the gentle tree dweller sloths of today. These creatures also boasted impressive defenses. Small bones beneath their skin acted as a chain mail, therefore, Megatherium had powerful clawed forelimbs for attack and armor-plated skin for defense, rendering adults virtually indestructible.

Behavior & Traits

Megatherium lived in pairs but were also solitary creatures. Even the apex predator of their region, Smilodon, wisely gave Megatherium a wide berth of space. Megatherium would have been a rather unintelligent creature and instinctively aggressive to make up for this. Although Megatherium was a herbivorous mammal, they would occasionally eat carrion to supplement their diet. And when they did, there was nothing that stood in their way, not even Smilodon. Even with such power, Megatherium was a gentle herbivore that only attacked other animals when in danger.

Gallery

A Megatherium browsing on treetops.

A Megatherium facing against a Smilodon.

Trivia

• The sound effects of Megatherium are that of bear, goat, elephant, camel, bison and bull.
• Megatherium is the largest and the first prehistoric sloth, brought to the park.
• Megatherium is the largest South American mammal brought to the park.
• Though described as being "virtually indestructible", large carnivorous animals that rival Megatherium's size - such as theropod dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex, giant reptiles such as Deinosuchus, and large mammalian carnivore (i.e. Arctotherium) - are capable of injuring and even killing Megatherium.