Physical Traits
Mammoths and mastodons were both large Ice Age mammals that looked similar to modern Elephants, but they had some notable differences. Mammoths had long, curved tusks and thick coats of fur, especially species like the Woolly Mammoth, which helped them survive in cold climates. They also had a hump of fat on their backs for energy storage. Mastodons were a bit different because they were generally shorter, wide, and had a straighter tusk. They also had thicker, more muscular bodies compared to mammoths. Another big difference is their teeth, Mastodons had cone shaped teeth while mammoths had flatter teeth for grinding plants.
Lifestyle
Both mammoths and mastodons live in herds. Living in herds helped protect them from predators and made it easier to find food. They were social animals and took care of their young as a group. They spent most of their time moving around looking for food and water. Their large size made it so they didn't have many natural predators, but young or weak individuals could still be targeted by Ice Age predators like saber tooths.
Habitat
Mammoths and mastodons lived in different environments depending on the species, here are the types of habitats for each: Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) mostly lived in cold, open areas like tundras and grasslands in northern regions. Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi) lived in warmer areas like parts of North America, including forests and grasslands. Mastodons (Mammut americanum) preferred forested areas with lots of trees and wetlands. They were more common in wooded regions compared to mammoths.
Diet
Mammoths and mastodons were both herbivores. However, their diets were slightly different because of their habitats and teeth structure. Mammoths mainly ate grasses and other low growing plants. Their flat teeth helped them grind tough, dry vegetation. Mastodons on the other hand mostly ate leaves, twigs, and branches from trees and shrubs. Their cone shaped teeth were better for crushing and chewing woody plants.
Fun Facts
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1.) Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) were covered in thick fur and could survive extremely cold temperatures during the Ice Age.
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2.) Mastodons and mammoths are not the same species, even though they looked similar, they actually split from a common ancestor millions of years ago.
Extinction
Mammoths and mastodons went extinct around 10,000 years ago, near the end of the Ice Age. Scientists think this happened because of a mix of climate change and humans. As the climate warmed up, their habitats started to change, which made it harder for them to find enough food. At the same time, early humans were hunting large animals, including giant sloths. Which allows us to assume this is what the main cause of their extinction was.