How tough was Megatherium really?

[Loon]

This is slightly a joke, but now that I came up with a title, I'm genuinely interested.

[CityRaptor]

Tougher than Kilotherium but weaker than Gigatherium.

We are talking about a sloth the size of an elephant here. So probably more or less as tough as an elephant.

[Shonisaurus]

I suppose that the predators would have a difficult time hunting and killing the megatherium with those impressive claws that, used accurately by this impressive sloth, could kill a smilodon populator with one claw. The megatherium was the equivalent of the therizinosaurus in evolutionary convergence from my point of view.

On the other hand, he must have had very tough skin.

[Halichoeres]

It was only the showing-off type of tough. Every Megatherium I've ever known has been the type to crush beer cans on its forehead and put out matches with its huge clawed finger, but wilts in the face of real danger.

[Shonisaurus]

What gives me the impression (I don't know but maybe I intuit it) is that the megatherium being a prehistoric sloth would move slowly, which would be lethal for its survival regardless of how strong and hard it might be. It must be a slow animal.

[Crackington]

Yes, I think it would all depend on whether it could be arsed to fight or not. It might prefer a good long scratch instead...

[stargatedalek]

Compared to large dinosaurs? The giant sloths were probably not particularly tough. But they were plenty large enough to be beyond approach from known contemporary predators, barring potential of specialized behaviour in a few of the larger terror birds (as some show potential adaptations for "bleeding" large prey). Though I don't know if Megatherium specifically coexisted with them.

[laticauda]

Probably more intimating than tough.  Due to its size and large claws, most predators would of wanted to keep their distance. 

[Shonisaurus]

I suppose that to end the life of a megatherium it would be necessary the presence of a good number of predators, such as wolves or smilodon and even before some members of those packs of wolves were killed, they would end up dead or seriously injured by the claws of that gigantic lazy.