# Saber-toothed Cat (*Smilodon fatalis*)

Saber-toothed Cat was a large Ice Age mammal that lived alongside early humans and other megafauna.

- **Category:** [Ancient](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/ancient)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Ice Age grasslands and tundra
- **Also known as:** Saber-Tooth Cat Skull, Saber-toothed Tiger, Smilodon, Smilodon Skull

![Saber-toothed Cat](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424358/objects/5811.jpg)

## Appearance

The Saber-toothed Cat has incredibly long, dagger-like upper canine teeth that could reach up to 28 cm. It was built powerfully with a muscular body, short bobtail, and lion-like fur, often depicted in sandy or tawny shades. Its distinctive fangs made it instantly recognizable.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia

## Interesting facts

- Despite the name, they are not closely related to modern tigers.
- Its giant saber teeth could grow up to 28 centimeters long!
- Saber-toothed Cats hunted massive mammoths and giant ground sloths!
- They lived at the same time as early humans in North America!

## Special abilities

- **Dagger Fangs:** Saber-toothed Cat has enormous, curved saber-teeth that helped them deliver a precise, fatal neck bite to large, struggling prey.
- **Powerful Pounce:** Saber-toothed Cat had a very strong, muscular body that helped them ambush and wrestle massive prehistoric animals to the ground.
- **Wide Gape:** Saber-toothed Cat could open its jaws extremely wide, helping them fully deploy their long canines without impaling themselves.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 1.7-2 m
- **Weight:** 160-280 kg
- **Era:** Pleistocene
- **Extinct Millions Years Ago:** 0.01

## Diet & Feeding

A super strong hunter, Saber-toothed Cats used their huge fangs to take down large prehistoric mammals!

- **Age differences:** Young cubs would learn hunting techniques from their mothers, starting with smaller prey.
- **Primary Foods:** mammoth calves, giant ground sloths, bison, camels, horses
- **Foraging Method:** Ambush

## Ecological connections

- **Hunts:** Columbian Mammoth (*Mammuthus columbi*) — Hunted young and weakened individuals.
- **Hunts:** Harlan's Ground Sloth (*Paramylodon harlani*) — A primary prey item in many regions.
- **Hunts:** Ancient Bison (*Bison antiquus*) — Frequently preyed upon during the Ice Age.

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Tusked](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tusked): Characterized by having long, pointed, projecting teeth, usually in pairs.
- [Ancient](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient): Ancient refers to organisms, objects, or geological formations that have existed for an extremely long period.
- [Artifact](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/artifact): An artifact is an object made or modified by human culture, typically of historical or archaeological interest.
- [Fossil](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fossil): A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of an ancient organism embedded in rock or other geological deposits.

## Collections

- [Ancient](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/ancient)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

While extremely dangerous in their time, this creature is now extinct.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Saber-toothed Cat?

Compare skull shape, horns, plates, limbs, posture and tail. Museum models and toys can mix features or follow outdated reconstructions. Dinosaur Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Saber-toothed Cat?

1.7-2 m

### How much does Saber-toothed Cat weigh?

160-280 kg

### What does Saber-toothed Cat eat?

A super strong hunter, Saber-toothed Cats used their huge fangs to take down large prehistoric mammals!

### Where is Saber-toothed Cat usually found?

Ice Age grasslands and tundra

### How does Saber-toothed Cat hunt?

Ambush

### What geologic era did Saber-toothed Cat live in?

Pleistocene

### When did Saber-toothed Cat go extinct?

0.01

## More Ancient

- [Tyrannosaurus rex](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tyrannosaurus-rex) (*Tyrannosaurus rex*)
- [Triceratops](https://www.snappit.app/explore/triceratops) (*Triceratops horridus*)
- [Stegosaurus](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stegosaurus) (*Stegosaurus stenops*)
- [Brachiosaurus](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brachiosaurus) (*Brachiosaurus altithorax*)

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Source: [Saber-toothed Cat: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/saber-toothed-cat)