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 Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 1:11 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:32 pm
Smilodons stood about three feet high at the shoulder and weighed anywhere from 350 to 620 pounds. It is thought that they were social animals, living in packs. Sabertooths hunted large game animals, including young mammoths. They had a unique hunting style, using their great strength to wrestle large animals to the ground and physically subdue them. Once their prey was on the ground, sabertooths used their massive canines to stab into their victim's jugular or crush its windpipe, killing it instantly. Sabertooths were better hunters of large animals than modern-day big cats, but lacked the speed and agility to hunt small prey as efficiently. Quick Facts Body Weight: 353 - 617 lb Body Length: 5.7 feet Tail Length: 1.15 feet Height at Shoulder: 3.2 feet Locomotion: Ambush predator; not built for long-distance running Social Groups: Possible cooperative hunting, although small brain size argues for solitary life-style Diet: Large mammals such as bison, griant ground sloths, young mammoths and mastodons, horses, camels Predators: No predators on healthy adults Feature Fact: Smilodon had 7 inch-long canine teeth and could open its mouth an astounding 130 degrees, almost twice the gape of modern cats. Credit.
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:33 pm
Woolly mammoths were only slightly taller than African elephants, but they were larger and heavier, with massive heads and curved tusks that could reach 16 feet in length. The distinctive hump on their shoulders also made them seem larger. Compared to modern day elephants, mammoths' ears were very small in order to conserve heat. Bulls were from 9 to 13 feet tall, and cows somewhat smaller. They usually weighed between 6 and 8 tons, but very large mammoths may have reached 9 tons or more. Their shaggy outer coat was up to 3 feet long, with an under coat of fine wool. Mammoths may have used their tusks like shovels to clear snow from the ground in order to reach food. Genetic analysis shows that mammoths came in many colors, from black to blond or ginger. Mammoth society was like that of the modern elephant, with females and young living in a herd dominated by a matriarch and bachelors being mostly solitary. Quick Facts Weight: 11,023-22,046 lb Length: 13.1-14.8 ft Locomotion: Presumed similar to Asian elephant Social Groups: Presumed similar to modern elephants Diet: Opportunistic feeders like elephants; grazing and browsing Predators: No predators on adults other than humans;sabertooth cats hunted calves Credit.
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:34 pm
The western horse was one of the largest prehistoric horses, about the size of a mustang. During the Ice Age, they coexisted with several other horse species. Western horses were strong, solid animals that resembled the quagga (also extinct) and the living Burchell's zebra, although they are not closely related to zebras. They were grazers and most likely lived in herds or bands as wild horses do today. Quick Facts Physical description: This species represents the larger end of the prehistoric horse spectrum - it was about the size of a mustang. It was a stoutly built animal and resembled the extinct quagga (Equus quagga) or the modern Burchell's zebra (Equus burchelli), although it was not a close relative of either or these species. Diet: The western horse was a grazer, like all living horse and a** species. Credit.
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:35 pm
Dire wolves evolved in North America and lived alongside gray wolves, but are not the ancestor of any wolf species living today. They averaged 5 feet in length and weighed from 110 to 174 pounds. They were stockier and sturdier than gray wolves, with stronger jaws and larger teeth with greater slicing ability. They hunted in packs using the same methods as gray wolves. Dire wolves relied on large animals for prey and were probably not as swift as gray wolves (they had proportionately shorter legs). Quick Facts Body Weight: 75-148 lb Head/Body Length: 4.1 ft. Tail Length: 2 ft. Height at Shoulder: 2.6 ft Locomotion: Similar to modern gray wolf. Social Groups: Lack of sexual dimorphism suggests pack behavior as seen in modern wolves Diet: Large mammals such as bison, giant ground sloths, mammoth and mastodon calves, horses, camels Predators: A top predator, along with sabertooth cats and American lions; young may have been vulnerable to attacks by these large cats. Feature Facts: Although the dog family evolved first in North America, the large wolf-like dogs arose in Africa, later migrating to Europe, Asia, North and South America. Thousands of dire wolves became trapped in Ice Age Pleistocene tar pits in southern California at La Brea between 40,000 and 12,000 years ago Credit.
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:35 pm
Arctodus simus may have once been Earth's largest warm-blooded, earth-bound meat-eater. They are thought to have been larger than any living species of bear. These giant bears were omnivores, and often used their large size and intimidating musculature to frighten smilodon and dire wolves from their kills. However, if necessity called for these giant beasts to diverge from their meat diet, they have been found to have eaten plants and other vegetation in order to survive. Quick Facts Body Weight for A. simus: Much variation in body mass estimates in literature (due in part to extreme sexual dimorphism in these bears and lack of large numbers of Arctodus to measure); new estimates of 855 lbs (females) to around 2,205 lb (males). Shoulder height: 5.25 ft Locomotion: Pacing gait with long legs; feet face forwards so doesn't waddle or walk "pigeon-toed" like other bears. Diet: As an adaptable omnivore, ate plants, scavenged carcasses and may have killed prey too. Predators: None known on this giant bear Feature Facts: Arctodus is variously described as a hyper carnivore, a specialized scavenger, and an omnivore. A new comprehensive, comparative study favors an omnivorous lifestyle, similar to that of Alaskan Brown Bears today. Credit.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:57 am
Quote: Unlike its cousin the American mink, the Sea mink lived in coastal waters. It was much larger than the American mink, with a pelt almost twice as large as an American mink's. These furs were highly sought after by fur traders, leading the sea mink to be hunted to extinction by the late 1800s.
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