Key Information
Toxodon
| Species | Toxodon platensis, Toxodon burmeisteri, Toxodon chapalmalensis, Toxodon ensenadensis, Toxodon expandsidens, Toxodon gracilis |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 4 ft 11 inches |
| Length | 8 ft 10 inches |
| Weight | 2,200 to 2,600 lb |
| Timescale | Pliocene to Late Pleistocene |
| Classification | Mammalia > Notoungulata > Toxodontinae |
Learning Point
- Toxodon was a mysterious giant animal that lived in ancient South America. About the size of a rhino, this heavy plant-eater was a mix of different creatures, with a stout body, a big head, and unique teeth like a rodent’s. Scientists now believe it was a land animal that ate plants, and it went extinct around 12,000 years ago.
Project
- Draw a picture of a Toxodon family.
- Overview
- X-Ray
Location
| Confirmed | South America |
Fun Facts
- The name, Toxodon means “bow tooth” in Greek, which refers to the curved shape of its teeth..
- Scientist Charles Darwin was the first to find its fossils and called it “one of the strangest animals ever discovered.”
- Its front teeth grew continuously, like a giant rodent’s tusks.
- This giant animal weighed as much as a small car!
Past Lessons
| 205 | September 22, 2025 | (North America) |