Researchers base this assumption on similar fossil remains that were discovered in southern Idaho.
Mammoth teeth have low cross-ridges suited for the grinding of grass and other coarse vegetation.
The Columbian mammoth is known to have lived in cool to subtropical environments in North America. So far, the more famous woolly mammoths, known from northern Alaska, Europe, and Asia, have not been found at Tolo Lake. The size and shape of the tusk plays a role in determining the species of the mammoths at Tolo Lake. For example, the Columbian mammoth has a very long set of curved tusks while the Woolly mammoth has shorter and more curved tusks. The tusks discovered at Tolo Lake measure seven feet along the curve and most likely belong to the Columbian mammoth.