Glyptotherium texanum

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North American Glyptodon

Close-up of a nearly complete Glyptotherium texanum shell.

Fossil

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Xenarthra
Family:	Glyptodontidae
Genus:	Glyptotherium
Species:	G. texanum

Binomial name

Glyptotherium texanum

Glyptotherium texanum ("Carved Beast of Texas"), also known as the "North American Glyptodon," is an extinct mammal related to the armadillo. It is considered megafauna, of which most have become extinct. The North American Glyptodon may have been wiped out by climate change or human interference. G. texanum went extinct around 12,000 years ago.[1]

Like its living relative, the armadillo, the North American Glyptodon had a shell. The North American Glyptodon's shell covered its entire body, similar to a turtle. However, unlike a turtle's shell, the North American Glyptodon's shell was made up of hundreds of small six-sided scales. The North American Glyptodon grew up to six feet long and its armor weighed up to a ton.

The North American Glyptodon thrived in tropical and subtropical regions of Florida, South Carolina, and Texas. There is no direct evidence of humans preying on the North American Glyptodon.