From giant sloths with enormous claws, to the largest rodent on Earth, here are 10 amazing
creatures that lived during the Ice Age.
9.
Irish Elk Also known as Megaloceros, the Irish Elk is
mysteriously misnamed, because it isn’t an elk and it isn’t Irish!
It is actually the largest deer species that ever existed on Earth!!
This massively impressive creature could grow to be around 2 meters (7 ft) at the shoulder
and its antlers could span up to 3.6 (12 feet)!!
Just as impressive, is that the Irish Elk didn't die out because of its big frame.
Despite how heavy those antlers would have been on the elks head, it would have been
a very majestic beast to see walking around!
The Irish Elk ranged throughout Europe, northern Asia and northern Africa but died out about
11,000 to 8,000 years ago.
While it isn’t 100% Irish, to be fair, most of the preserved specimens have been found
in lake sediments and peat bogs in Ireland.
Many castles and hunting lodges in Ireland would be decorated with these gigantic antlers.
Other impressive specimens, such as the one on display at the Paleontological Institute
in Moscow were found in Russian towns.
In September 2018, fisherman pulled up an enormous Irish Elk skull that was about 1.8
m (6 feet) across and was almost fully intact!!
Scientists believed the Irish Elk, or giant elk, died out because of overhunting by humans
like many other mammals during the ice age, or because of climate changes that affected
the vegetation that they ate.
Fun fact: This species has been selected by the Long Now Foundation as a candidate for
de-extinction, meaning they may be bringing them back sometime soon!
8.
Megatherium When you think of sloths, you likely think
of small and gentle, slow-moving creatures.
And in the present day, you’d be right, but in the Ice Age, sloths were giant and
aggressive!!
One of the biggest prehistoric sloths was the Megatherium.
Believe it or not, these ground sloths could actually grow up to 6 meters (20 feet) long,
which is longer than many land creatures today, including elephants!
Many of these giant sloths had tails and they weren’t afraid to use them to scare off
predators who got too close.
Adding to their offensive and defensive capabilities, the Megatherium also had giant claws, as well
as a very thick skin, making it pretty hard to take out.
Megatherium americanum lived primarily in South America between 5 million and 11,000
years ago.
These ground sloth species would often walk on two legs as well as 4, and some species
dug enormous tunnels, while others would catch their food in the sea!
Other ground sloths had armor plates clustered around their neck and back that would protect
them from their enemies, but it wasn’t enough to protect themselves from the changes and
humans brought about during the ice age.
Because after all, humans probably ate them.
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7.
Short-Faced Bear In the Ice Age, one of the ancestors to modern
day bears was much bigger, much heavier, and much more aggressive.
It was known as the Short-Faced Bear, and it's one species that would be pretty scary
if it were still around!!
This massive creature stood over 13-feet-tall (4 meters) when it was standing on its back
legs, which is three feet taller than the biggest bears today.
Another massive difference was in their weights.
Bears can weigh at most around 800 pounds.
But the Short-Faced Bear weighed around 2,000 on average.
National Geographic reported in 2011 that the heavyweight champion was a North American
giant short-faced bear that weighed up to 1,134 kg (2,500 pounds).
However, there’s a new record holder!
It is a prehistoric South American giant short-faced bear that weighed up to 1600 kg (3,500 pounds).
You can read more about it in the 2011 Jan issue of the Journal of Paleontology.
It was the largest meat-eating animal to ever roam the Earth.
This bear would travel great distances to hunt down bison and mammoth and all kinds
of other creatures.
Strangely enough though, while many conclude that the Short-Faced Bear died out in the
Ice Age, Native Americans tell stories of giant bears that are much bigger than usual
that live in caves.
In modern times hunters and explorers have claimed to have spotted bears unlike anything
others have seen before.
But despite finding the remains of one such bear in 1854, the results were inconclusive.
Do you think this bear might still be around?
Let me know in the comments below!!
6.
The Moa From the beasts of the land, to the birds
in the sky, there were many birds in the ice age, but few ever got as big as The Moa.
But the Moa was actually a flightless bird.
There were 9 species of moas and they were said to have grown to over 3.6m (12 feet)
tall, and weigh over 230 kg (500 lbs).
The Moa was a very isolated bird.
They thrived in New Zealand for millions of years but abruptly went extinct.
Most scientists believe that their gentle nature led to their extinction, as Polynesian
settlers came to the New Zealand islands, and wiped out the Moa.
Or did they?
To this day, many who go to the island the Moa lived on swear they sometimes hear bird
calls that are unlike anything they've ever heard of before.
More than that, there are some footprints on the island that don't match any other animal.
A photo was taken by hotel owner Paddy Freaney in 1993.
He claims he was hiking and spotted a Moa by a stream but as soon as it heard him, it
took off.
His photo is too blurry to tell, but maybe the Moa isn't quite as gone as people think.
5.
Giant Beaver During the last ice age, it seems that many
animals grew to giant proportions!
Native to present day North America, this is the largest rodent to have ever lived,
that we know of anyway.
At a massive 2.7 m (nine feet) long, this was indeed a very large beaver.
But, unlike its modern day cousins, we aren’t sure whether it had its characteristic long,
flat tail that was used to help make dams.
Another big difference were their teeth, they had incisors that were up to 15 cm (6 inches)
long, and their face looked more like that of a capybara.
Despite their resemblance, the giant beaver and our present day friend aren’t close
relatives.
The giant beaver is believed to have died out around 10,000 years ago along with everybody
else.
4.
Teratorn These birds, also known as (Argentavis magnificens)
weren’t just massive, they could most certainly fly!
The teratorn has the distinction of having been the largest flying bird ever found, so
far!
Just how big was the Teratorn?
At its peak, the wingspan of the Teratorn was around 28 feet long.
And on average, it would be about 19 feet long.
That means that the Teratorn has over twice the wingspan of the largest living birds today.
Related to the Giant Condor, this bird was found in modern day Argentina.
Also impressive was that its regular body size was about the height of a human, yet
even with all that size, its weight was only about 200 pounds.
3.
Megalania In Australia during the Ice Age, there was
a creature that roamed the Australian jungle as Apex Predator of the land: a massive lizard,
called the Megalania.
It was actually a monitor lizard, one that was bigger than a crocodile- about 23 feet
long to be precise.
It is estimated to have weighed between 500-4,000 pounds.
A huge range, but you know, we’re going off of bones here.
But even so, it still would have been heavier than the Komodo Dragon.
Fun fact, it is the largest lizard ever identified to have lived on the planet.
What's more, it was said to have an extremely venomous bite and a mouth full of teeth.
The Megalania would roam through the forest and would get anything it could catch for
a meal.
This included the earliest settlers of the land.
So much so that Aboriginal folklore still talks about the Megalania as something to
be feared.
Adding to their legend, there are many reports that say that there are still some Megalania
out there, with many reports citing lizard tracks near spots where cattle were attacked.
2.
Saber-Tooth Tiger Actually, more properly known as a saber-toothed
cat, these were a group of mammals that had long, curved saber-shaped teeth.
Though it has many names, one of the most famous was the Smilodon.
These massive cats were the ancestors to some present day cats, and they're still the prime
example of how vicious the feline species can be at its peak.
Others also known as “sabre-toothed cats” however, are not closely related to modern
cats so it can all get kind of confusing.
But anyway, the Saber-Tooth Cats were fierce, mighty, fast, and had a killer instinct that
everyone feared.
Its iconic fangs were nearly a foot long, and it would pierce all victims in the jugular
to ensure that the kill was complete.
But their fangs weren't the only thing lethal about them, they were so fast that they could
catch nearly any prey, and they would use their strong hind legs to pounce on their
opponents, then use their muscles to pin them to the ground to ensure that the final strike
was done unopposed.
The Saber-Toothed Cat r is such a legendary animal that it has been used in media the
world over.
From televisions shows such as being the Zord to one of the original Power Rangers, to the
popular Ice Age films, where the lead Tiger was voiced by Dennis Leary.
Adding to the intrigue of the animal, there are some who believe that one still exists!
Locals in Chad, Africa, claim to have seen a giant cat, with dark fur and large fangs
coming out of its mouth.
However, we still have no definitive proof, but it looks like it could maybe, still be
around! 1.
Woolly Mammoth Perhaps the most representative animal of
the Ice Age is the Wooly Mammoth!!
To be fair, there were regular Mammoths, and Mastodons too in the Ice Age, but the striking
look of the Woolly Mammoth has made it something that has transcended time.
These creatures were one of the ancestors to the elephants who roam our world today.
But back then, they were one of the biggest things around, and they were built to survive.
The hair on their bodies made it so that they could survive the frigid cold of wherever
they roamed.
And it should be noted that they roamed quite a bit.
They were found in Europe, Asia, and some were even found to be in North America (which
has been proven by recent fossil finds in Michigan, LA and many other places).
Fossils of the woolly mammoth tusks have been found measuring over 5 feet in length.
The Woolly Mammoth liked to travel in packs, and weren't afraid to get physical when needed.
But arguably the most interesting fact of all is that it's widely believed that the
Woolly Mammoth was one of the last Ice Age creatures to die out.
Most creatures from that age died out around 10,000 years ago, but many feel that the Woolly
Mammoths actually died around 8,000 years ago, and a sub species of them, albeit a smaller
version of them, lived until around 1700 BC.
So not only were they built to last, but they might have been the last ones standing!
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