Mastodons were prehistoric relatives of modern elephants that lived in North and Central America during the late Miocene through the end of the Pleistocene epoch.

How are Mastodons different from Mammoths?

Mastodons had straighter tusks and teeth adapted for browsing on shrubs and trees, while mammoths had curved tusks and teeth better suited for grazing on grasses.

When did Mastodons go extinct?

Mastodons went extinct around 10,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change and human hunting.

Did humans hunt Mastodons?

Yes, archaeological evidence shows that early humans hunted Mastodons for meat, bones, and tusks.

What did Mastodon tusks look like?

Mastodons had long, straighter tusks compared to mammoths. Some males had tusks over 15 feet long.

Are Mastodons related to modern elephants?

Yes, Mastodons are distant relatives of modern elephants, but they belonged to a different family called Mammutidae and diverged from the elephant lineage millions of years ago.

Extinct Animal Fact Sheet: All about the Mastodon

Q: When did Mastodons live?

Mastodons lived from around 27 million years ago until their extinction about 10,000 years ago, at the end of the Ice Age.

Q: What did Mastodons eat?

Mastodons were herbivores that primarily fed on leaves, shrubs, branches, and coniferous trees.

Q: How big were Mastodons?

Mastodons stood about 8 to 10 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed between 4 and 6 tons, similar in size to modern elephants.

Q: Where did Mastodons live?

Mastodons lived in forested regions across North and Central America, ranging from Alaska down to Mexico.

Extinct Animals: Mastodon

Discover the ancient relative of the elephant with four tusks, that lived during the Ice Age.

Mastodon (Nipple Tooth)

A realistic image of a Mastodon. Mastodon

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What is a Mastodon?

Mastodons were ancient relatives of today’s elephants, roaming the earth millions of years ago. These gentle giants walked the land alongside other prehistoric animals, including Mastodons and mammoths. Mastodons were especially famous for their long, curved tusks and shaggy hair.

How big were Mastodon?

Mastodons were large creatures, much like modern elephants. They could reach up to 3 metres tall at the shoulder and weighed about 4 to 5 tonnes! Their size made them one of the biggest land animals of their time.

What did Mastodons eat?

Like Mastodons, mastodons were herbivores. Their diet included leaves, twigs, fruits, and bark. Their teeth were specially shaped for chewing tough plants and branches in the forests where they lived.

Mastodon appearance

Large bodies with four sturdy legs.
Long, curved tusks on the top jaw.
Long trunks for grabbing food, just like elephants.
Shaggy hair to keep them warm in cold climates.

Mastodon appearance

Where did Mastodon live?

Fossils show that mastodons lived in North and Central America. They preferred forests and woodlands where there was plenty of food and water for their huge appetites.

When did Mastodon live?

Mastodons appeared about 5 million years ago and survived until around 10,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age. That means they were living at the same time as Mastodons, mammoths, and even early humans!

Interesting facts

Mastodons were close cousins of Mastodons, mammoths, and today’s elephants.
Their name means “nipple tooth” because of the bumpy shape of their teeth.
They used their trunks and tusks to grab food and strip bark from trees.
Mastodons became extinct about 10,000 years ago, possibly due to climate change and hunting by early humans.

Mastodon size compared to an adult human.

Mastodon Facts

Pronounced: MAS-tuh-don

Name Means: "Nipple Tooth"

Length: Up to 3 metres (10 feet) long

Height: Up to 3 metres (10 feet) at the shoulder

Weight: Around 4,000 to 5,000 kilograms (8,800 to 11,000 pounds)

Diet: Herbivore (Leaves, twigs, fruits, and bark)

Time: Lived from about 5 million to 10,000 years ago (Miocene to the end of the Pleistocene Epoch)

Fossils Found: North America

Which family of animals did Mastodon belong to?

They were part of the family Elephantidae, making them close relatives of modern elephants.

Mastodon size comparison

What other animals lived at the same time as Mastodon?

They lived alongside wooly rhinos, giant ground sloths (Megatherium), and early human populations, who often hunted them for food and resources.

Mastodon FAQ

Q1: What is a Mastodon?

A1. A Mastodon is an extinct animal that looked like an elephant. It had a long trunk and big tusks, but it was different from mammoths and modern elephants.

Q2. Were Mastodons dinosaurs?

A2. No, Mastodons were mammals, not dinosaurs. They lived millions of years after the dinosaurs went extinct.

Q3. How big were Mastodons?

A3. Mastodons were about the same size as elephants. They could grow up to 10 feet tall and weigh around 5 tons!

Q4. What did Mastodons eat?

A4. Mastodons were herbivores, which means they ate plants like leaves, twigs, and shrubs. Their teeth were perfect for chewing tough plants.

Q5. Where did Mastodons live?

A5. Mastodons lived mostly in North and Central America, in forests and cold areas during the Ice Age.

Q6. What’s the difference between a Mastodon and a Mammoth?

A6. Mastodons had shorter, straighter tusks and bumpier teeth. Mammoths had curved tusks and were more adapted to cold climates.

Q7. When did Mastodons live?

A7. Mastodons lived from about 27 million years ago until around 10,000 years ago, during the Ice Age.

Q8. Did humans ever see Mastodons?

A8. Yes! Early humans may have hunted Mastodons for food. Some fossils have been found near ancient tools and campsites.

Q9. Why did Mastodons go extinct?

A9. Scientists think Mastodons went extinct because of climate change and human hunting after the Ice Age ended.

Q10. How do scientists learn about Mastodons?

A10. Scientists study fossils, like bones and teeth, to learn about Mastodons. These fossils help us understand how they lived and what they looked like.