Sivatherium is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammals that belonged to the Giraffidae family. It was characterized as a giant animal and was part of the fauna that inhabited the Earth during the Pleistocene, approximately 2.5 million to 12,000 years ago.
The Sivatherium was a species notable for its strange appearance, as it combined features of several modern animal groups. Its general appearance resembled that of a giraffe, but it also had similarities to deer, antelope, and bovine. Its most distinctive features included a long, powerful neck similar to that of a giraffe, but with short, stout horns on top of its head, resembling the antlers of a deer.
The height of an adult Sivatherium was considerable, measuring up to approximately 2.7 meters at the shoulders, with a weight that could reach up to 1,200 kilograms. This magnitude gave it a dominant role within its ecosystem, allowing it to access food sources inaccessible to other animals.
The main habitat of Sivatherium was savannah, grassland and forest areas, where it fed mainly on leaves, shoots and branches of trees and shrubs. Due to their size and appetite, it is estimated that they required large amounts of food to sustain themselves.
Unfortunately, like many other megaherbivores of the Pleistocene epoch, Sivatherium went extinct at the end of the last ice age around 12,000 years ago. The combination of climatic changes, the disappearance of its habitat, and hunting pressure from early humans probably contributed to its extinction. Today, we can only learn about this fascinating animal through the fossils and paleontological evidence that has been discovered.
Approximate measurements of the Sivatherium:
1:35 scale - 106mm
