Large Claw Yucatan
Nohochichak xibalbahkah
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Chordata
Mammalia
Pilosa
Megatherioidea
Megalonychidae
Nohochichak xibalbahkah
The Great Claw of the Underworld — Nohochichak xibalbahkah, a massive ground sloth from the late Pleistocene Yucatán Peninsula, whose fossilized remains were discovered deep in the flooded caves of Hoyo Negro. Its name, drawn from the Mayan language, evokes the spirit world: Nohochichak meaning “great claw,” and Xibalbahkah meaning “dweller of the underworld.”
Description
Nohochichak xibalbahkah was a massive ground sloth that roamed the Yucatán Peninsula during the Late Pleistocene epoch. Its robust build and significant size were comparable to the well-known Megalonyx. The skull structure featured a lower rostrum compared to the braincase, a trait shared with some South American sloths but differing from others like Megalonyx. The dental arrangement included prominent caniniform front teeth followed by molariform teeth with bilophodont (two-ridged) surfaces, indicative of a herbivorous diet. The high-crowned (hypsodont) nature of these teeth suggests an adaptation to a diet possibly consisting of abrasive vegetation.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
987
1.5
2.25
3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Omnivores – Balanced
Hunt History
Though no direct evidence of hunting Nohochichak xibalbahkah by humans has been found, humans and these massive sloths did coexist in the Yucatán during the Late Pleistocene. Paleoindians of the region, such as those represented by the Hoyo Negro skeleton (“Naia”), may have encountered or scavenged these creatures. With primitive spears and fire, early humans could have hunted isolated or trapped individuals, much as they did with other megafauna across the Americas.
Three archaeological associations situating humans and sloths in context:
Hoyo Negro, Quintana Roo (Mexico) – Fossil remains of Nohochichak xibalbahkah and a young human female (“Naia”), both dated to roughly 13,000 years ago.
Tequixquiac, Mexico – Carved sloth bone tools, circa 12,000 years ago, suggest humans exploited large mammals of similar type.
Santa Elena Peninsula, Ecuador – Evidence of ground sloth butchery dated to 10,500 years ago, showing contemporaneous human-sloth interaction across the region.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
10000
BP
Late Pleistocene
South America
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
5
Est. Renderable Fat
49.4
kg
Targeted Organs
Visceral & subcutaneous
Adipose Depots
Visceral/subcutaneous (general)
Preferred Cuts
Visceral depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4