Pig-nosed Turtle
SPECIES CARETTOCHELYS INSCULPTA
DISTRIBUTION
GENUS
Megatherium
DIET
Omnivore
LIVED IN
Forest edges, woodlands & wetlands
PERIOD
Pliocene to Late Pleistocene
Megatherium americanum – "Great American Beast"
These giant mammals were slow-moving, like modern sloths, but far bigger. With long, curved claws, they could pull down branches and dig up shrubs, leaves, and roots. Despite their size, they were herbivores.
Unlike today’s tree-dwelling sloths, Ground Sloths lived entirely on the ground because their weight would have broken branches. They could also stand on their hind legs, reaching up to 4.5 metres tall to feed.
Their thick skin and strong muscles helped protect them from predators such as Sabre-Toothed Tigers.
