Megatherium were ground sloths native to the Pleistocene woods and grasslands of South America, and the largest of them was Megatherium americanum.
This elephant-sized giant ground sloth could weigh up to 4 tons and be 6 meters (20 feet) from head to tail. Its large size enabled it to browze at heights that other herbivores of the time couldn’t reach, using its tail to balance up on its hind legs. They had large, strong claws for pulling down branches and batting away combatants. There were not any predators who could take on an adult M. americanum… until humans and their tools, and it is suggested that this was a contributing factor to the giant ground sloth’s extinction.
While we only have six species left today, sloths used to be a much more diverse group. There were ground sloths the size of elephants, burrowing sloths which excavated entire caves that still stand, and there were aquatic sloths that lived their lives almost entirely in the water. Seeing as none of these impressive species have made it into the present day, it seems the best way to survive is to take to the trees, do absolutely nothing, and be as unappetizing as possible.
