Giant Ground Sloth

Giant ground sloths were some of the biggest land animals in the Ice Age. The largest species, Megatherium, was as big as an elephant! Unlike today's small tree sloths, these giants lived on the ground. They went extinct about 10,000 years ago.

Gentle Giants

Megatherium was about 20 feet long and weighed up to 4 tons. It could stand on its back legs and use its long arms to pull down tree branches. Its claws were over a foot long. Despite these scary claws, it only ate plants. Today's sloths are its tiny relatives.

Life in the Americas

Giant ground sloths lived in North and South America. They had thick skin with bony knobs inside for protection. They moved slowly but were very strong. Few predators could attack a full-grown giant ground sloth. Early humans lived alongside them and may have hunted them.

Fun Facts

• Giant ground sloth claws were over a foot long, but they were used for pulling branches, not fighting.
• Their skin had small bones inside it, making it like natural armor.
• Some caves in South America have claw marks from giant ground sloths on the walls.

Did You Know?

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was fascinated by giant ground sloth fossils. He hoped that living giant sloths might still be found in the unexplored American West!