Shasta Ground Sloth Skull Replica

Description

Shasta ground sloth skull replica measures 13.8 x 5.8 x 7.0 inches. The Nothrotheriops shastensis is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast of a Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA.

North America served as the native land for this extinct ground sloth. Arid open spaces stretching across central Mexico up through the American Southwest formed their primary geographic range.

Early exploration teams from the University of California Anthropology Department dug up the first fossil examples within Potter Creek Cave. This site sits deep inside Shasta County, California.

Ancient layers containing these skeletal bones date back to the late Quaternary period. Adults reached lengths of nine feet from snout to tail tip. Their modest body weight reached about one-quarter of a ton. Heavy hind legs and muscular tails allowed them to stand upright on two limbs. Huge, curved claws helped them swipe at predators or grab food.

Desert globemallow plants, cacti, and prickly yucca stalks formed the primary diet of these slow herbivores. They also strip leaves, sweet fruits, and seeds off wild Joshua trees. Tubular snouts lacked front teeth entirely, but small blunt cheek teeth chewed the rough desert plants.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Xenarthra
• Family: †Nothrotheriidae
• Genus: †Nothrotheriops
• Species: †N. shastensis
• Binomial name: †Nothrotheriops shastensis
• Conservation Status: Extinct

Shasta, the Shasta ground sloth skull replica, loves to jet ski on Lake Shasta with her friends.

Hannah, the Hoffmann’s two-toed female sloth skull replica, just splashed Shasta when she wizzed past her. It is so fun to splash your friends.

Lenny, the Linnaeus two-toed sloth skull replica, loves to do donuts on his jet ski and then do a nose dive.

Thurston, the three-toed sloth skull replica, is a show-off through and through. He is now waving at the beach croud that is watching him ride the jet-ski backwards.