Description

Eremotherium laurillardi — One of the largest ground sloth species to ever live, Eremotherium was distributed from South America through much of Central America and into parts of southern North America (as far north as Florida).

This beast could reach lengths of ~6 m when fully extended (i.e. rearing up) and may have weighed ~3,000–4,000 kg (or more in robust specimens). When on all fours, it likely stood perhaps 2–3 m tall at the shoulder.

Anatomically, Eremotherium had extremely elongated forelimbs, long curved claws, and robust, pillar-like hind limbs. Its pelvis and vertebrae were strongly built to support a heavy body and enable it to rear up to reach high foliage. The skull was relatively small in proportion to body size, with simple, peg-like teeth well-suited to a browsing diet.

It likely inhabited a variety of habitats—gallery forests, savannas, and open woodlands—and browsed on leaves, twigs, and possibly fruit. Because of its size and limb proportions, it was not built for speed but rather for strength and reach.

This species survived into the terminal Pleistocene in many regions, disappearing roughly 10,000 to 11,000 years ago, coincident with widespread megafaunal extinctions in the Americas.