Reticulated Glyptodont
Glyptodon reticulatus
🦔
Chordata
Mammalia
Cingulata
Chlamyphoridae
Glyptodontidae
Glyptodon reticulatus
The Patterned Shield Giant — Glyptodon reticulatus was a massive, herbivorous armored mammal that roamed the grasslands and river valleys of South America during the Late Pleistocene. Distinguished by its strikingly patterned dome of interlocking bony plates, this creature was among the largest members of the armadillo lineage.
Description
Glyptodon reticulatus was slightly smaller than G. clavipes but more ornate in shell design, with a honeycomb-like network (reticulation) of polygonal osteoderms forming its carapace. It grew to about 3 meters long and stood 1.3 meters high at the shoulder. Its heavy tail, partially sheathed in bony rings, could be swung like a club in defense. These giants grazed on tough grasses of the Pampas and Patagonian steppe, using broad, grinding teeth suited for fibrous vegetation.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
1000
1.5
2.25
3.3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Root/Tuber Feeders
Hunt History
Humans of the Late Pleistocene hunted Glyptodon reticulatus for its meat and likely used its domed shell as a form of shelter — essentially, a ready-made hut of bone. Butchering marks on fossil remains suggest organized hunting, possibly coordinated along riverbanks where these slow-moving creatures gathered. The combination of human pressure and post-glacial habitat shifts ended their lineage.
Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Buenos Aires Province, Argentina — c. 11,500 BCE: butchered Glyptodon reticulatus bones with cut marks.
Pampas del Sur, Argentina — c. 10,800 BCE: hearths and human tools found alongside Glyptodon carapace fragments.
Santa Fé region, Argentina — c. 9,800 BCE: shell remains reused as a primitive shelter structure.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
12000
BP
Late Pleistocene
South America
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Low
Fat %
4
Est. Renderable Fat
40
kg
Targeted Organs
Tail-base fat, limb pockets
Adipose Depots
Tail-base pad, limb pockets; limited subcutaneous
Preferred Cuts
Tail-base depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4