Sloths


Family: Edentates
Genus: Eremotherium





Giant ground sloth mandible (lower jaw). Teeth are 7 inches long.

Top: Tibia (shin bone) of ground sloth (Family: Megalonychidae; Genus: Glossotherium). Bottom: Tibia of giant ground sloth. The larger animal reached 20 feet from head to tail, while the smaller animal was about the size of an adult bull.

Left: Giant ground sloth Eremotherium astragalus (ankle bone). Right: Glossotherium astragalus.



Giant ground sloth claw cores. The top one is 18-3/3 inches long, while the bottom one measures 16-1/2 inches. The claws were used by this huge herbivore to reach the upper branches of trees to chew on the tender leaves, or possibly to dig for tasty roots.



Left: Giant ground sloth Megalonyx skull. Various views.





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