Giant Ground Sloth

The giant ground sloth lived in what is now South America. Taller than a modern- day elephant, it became extinct as recently as five thousand years ago.

Habits

Little is known about the giant groung sloth, but we do know that it was big and poweful. When it stood on its hind legs, it was about twice the height of an elephant.
Its very thick skin, which was covered with dense, heavy fur, protected it from predators.
The giant ground sloth was a herbivorous animal that fed mainly on plants that grew on the ground.
It is believed that the giant groung sloth lived in groups, but it may have lived singly in caves.

Food & hunting

The giant ground sloth lived in the lightly wooded areas og South America, feeding on the leaves of trees and ground plants such as yuccas, agaves, and grasses. Eremotherium, a close relative of the sloth, lived in more tropical environments further north.

Pulling itself upright to sit on its haunches ot to stand, the giant ground sloth balance its weight with its tail. It then tugged at plants with its feet, digging them up with the fove sharp claws on each foot.

The sloth used its simple teeth to grind down food before swallowing it, and its highlt developed cheek muscles helped in this process. The sloth's stomach was able to digest coarse and fibrous food.

For millions of years, the sloth had no enemies to bother it, so it was probably a daytime feeder. It is likelt that it spent a lot of time resting to aid digestion.

Characteristics

When Ichthyostega walked in land, its forelimbs carried much of its weight. When it swam, it used its flipperlike hind limbs as well as its powerful tail, with its bony fin ray supporting long tail flukes. It probably went into water to feed and regulate its body temperature. It may have moved into land to escape its predators, find prey, it travel to a new pool of fresh water when its old home dried up.
Ichthyostega must have spent much tome in the water because it had lateral line canal system along its head- a sensory mechanism that fish still use to detect vibrations in water. Its eyes were high in the head, like those of crocodiles as well as other animals that lurk in muddy water.
At the back of its head, Ichthyostega had a pair of notches that held opening for tubes to the throat. These were used as snorkels for breathing air while floating or wallowing- whenever its mouth was full of water. Its nostrils, which opened directly into the mouth, were used to detect scent underwater, much as they are in fish today.

Breeding

Scientists can only speculate on the breeding methods of Ichthyostega because no fossils of young have been found. Female amphibians generally lay eggs in water, where they are fertilized by the males. The eggs eventually hatch into aquatic larvae, with gills for breathing in water. It seems likely that Ichthyostega bred in the same way.

Key Facts