Doedicurus (Doedicurus clavicaudatus) is a species of large Glyptodont native to the Pampas of South America. It went extinct around 7,000 BCE, but was brought back to life via cloning and temporal dislocation technologies by the Greene Foundation in the late 2000’s.
Description
Glyptodonts have hypsodont dentition, and the teeth also never stop growing, a helpful adaptation for animals who feed predominantly on grass. Though the teeth have relatively small grinding surfaces, which indicate they were incapable of thoroughly chewing food.
Doedicurus, on average, have a height of 4 ft 11 in, an overall length of around 12 ft,and a weight of about 3,100 lb, but can reach up to 5,220 lb. This makes it one of the heaviest glyptodont species known. Doedicurus have a huge domed carapace that is made of many tightly fitted scutes, somewhat similar to that of its relatives, the armadillos. The carapace is firmly anchored to the pelvis but loose around the shoulder. This dome is fat-filled space, similar to a camel's hump.
A Doedicurus' tail is surrounded by a flexible sheath of bone, and features large spikes along the edges. The tail club can reach up to 3 ft 3 in in length. using this tail, Doedicurus are capable of delivering a blow of about 2.5 kJ (1,800 ft⋅lbf), though this is far from the most amount of force the tail can deliver. Assuming a total mass of 88 lbs for the club, this would equate to a maximum velocity of 11 m/s (40 km/h; 25 mph). The tip of the tail can reach 34 mph. Assuming the club was 143 lb, the center of percussion (the point of impact on the club which would have exerted maximum force and minimized damage done to itself) would have been about 2.5 ft from the tip.
Ecology
Glyptodonts generally inhabit open grassland with temperate to cool climate. It appears to have been restricted to the cold, humid Chaco-Pampean plains of northeastern Patagonia
Conservation
Doedicurus can be found in Zoland Park Zoo, Zoologico de Cali, San Diego Zoo, Chapultepec Zoo, Guadalajara Zoo, Temaiken and Huachipa Zoo