Nothrotheriops (SciiFii)

Shasta ground sloth (Nothrotheriops shastensis) is a species of ground sloth found in scrublands and deserts of North America, from central Mexico to the southern United States, and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii. This bear-sized xenarthran is related to the much larger, and far more famous Megatherium, although it is of a different family, Nothrotheriidae. Although rather small for a ground sloth, it still reaches 2.75 metres (9.0 ft) from snout to tail tip and weigh 250 kilograms (551 lb) (one-quarter of a tonne) - much smaller than some of its contemporary species such as the Eremotherium, which can easily weigh over two tonnes and be 6 metres (20 ft) long. The Shasta ground sloth behaves like all typical ground sloths of North and South America, feeding on various plants like the desert globemallow, cacti, and yucca. It is hunted by various local predators, like wolves and big cats, from which the sloths defend themselves by standing upright on hindlegs and tail and swiping with their long foreclaws, like its distant relative Megatherium. The same claws are also used as tools to reach past the plant spines and grab softer flowers and fruits. Also, the Shasta ground sloth has a prehensile tongue (like a giraffe) to strip leaves off branches. The Shasta ground sloth plays an important role in the dispersal of Yucca brevifolia, or Joshua tree, seeds. The conservation status of the Shasta ground sloth is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts.
Category:Animals
Category:SciiFii
Category:Cenozoic Park