Giant Ground Sloth Lestodon
Lestodon armatus
📈🦥
Chordata
Mammalia
Pilosa
Mylodontoidea
Mylodontidae
Lestodon armatus
The Giant Ground Sloth — Lestodon armatus was one of the largest members of the ground sloths, a colossal herbivore that roamed South America during the Pleistocene. Despite its size and slow gait, it was a powerful browser capable of pulling down trees and stripping vegetation with its massive claws.
Description
Giant Ground Sloth (Lestodon armatus) — Native to the Pampas and lowland regions of South America, this giant sloth could reach 4.5 meters in length and weigh up to 3,000–4,000 kg, rivaling modern elephants in bulk. It stood at 1.8 meters at the shoulder and could rear up to over 4 meters tall on its hind legs to reach vegetation. Its robust skull and teeth were adapted for grazing and browsing tough plants, while its enormous claws were likely used for pulling down branches and digging. Unlike arboreal sloths, Lestodon was strictly terrestrial.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
4100
1.7
2.55
4.6
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Browsers
Hunt History
Early humans in South America likely hunted Lestodon for its enormous supply of meat, hide, and bones. Evidence suggests cooperative hunting was necessary due to its size and dangerous claws. Large sloths were vulnerable when near water sources or trapped in open terrain. Their extinction coincides closely with human arrival in the continent, suggesting hunting pressure was a major factor alongside climate shifts.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Campo Laborde, Argentina (ca. 12,600 years ago) — Butchered bones of Lestodon with clear cut marks from stone tools.
Pampas region, Uruguay (ca. 12,000 years ago) — Fossil remains associated with human hunting sites.
Lagoa Santa, Brazil (ca. 11,500 years ago) — Megafaunal kill sites with giant sloth remains processed for meat and marrow.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
11000
BP
Late Pleistocene
South America
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
7
Est. Renderable Fat
287
kg
Targeted Organs
Subcutaneous pads, visceral fat
Adipose Depots
Subcutaneous pads (inguinal/abdominal), visceral; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Marrow & abdominal depots
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4