Our Life Size Mastodon Replica
Our life size Mastodon replica is based on a find a few miles from here in 1991. Come and see some of teh Mastodon's bones and learn about the dig, the mastodon's place in Nova Scotia's past and much more! Learn the prehistroy and history of Nova Scotia in our "Showcase Nova Scotia" exhibit.
Relatives of the Mastodon compared
American Mastodon
Weight: 4 - 5 Tons
Height: 2.4 - 3 m (8-10 feet)
Fur: Probably dence
Tusks: Two Pairs
Ear Size: Probably small
Head Shape: Low single dome
Back Shape: Straight
Tail: Size Medium
Woolly Mammoth
Weight: 4 - 6 Tons
Height: 2.7 - 3.4 m (9-11 feet)
Fur: Dance
Tusks: Curved and Twisted
Ear Size: Very small
Head Shape: High single dome
Back Shape: Sloping
Tail: Short
African Elephant
Weight: 4 - 5 Tons
Height: 3 - 3.4 m (10-11 feet)
Fur: Very Sparse
Tusks: Gently Curved
Ear Size: Large
Head Shape: Low single dome
Back Shape: Saddle-shaped
Tail: Long
Asian Elephant
Weight: 3 - 5 Tons
Height: 2.4 - 3 m (8 - 10 feet)
Fur: Sparse
Tusks: Gently Curved
Ear Size: Medium
Head Shape: Double dome
Back Shape: Humped
Tail: Long
Some Facts about Mastodons
- Mastodon is Greek for nipple-tooth. Mastodon teeth have several cusps or points, adapted for eating forest vegetation.
- Mammoths and elephants have flat teeth with ridges that are better suited for a grass diet.
- Mastodons traveled in herds
- Mastodons lived at a time when the climate was colder than present day
- Mastodons had a thick coat similar to that of today's musk oxen
- Mastodons fed on conifers and marsh vegetation like the native moose today
- Males had 2 sets of tusks - 1 upper, and 1 lower
- Their upper tusks were up to 6 feet long,
and lower ones were 7 inches to 2 feet
