Saber-toothed tigers were feared predators of the Ice Age. There are three known species that fall under the genus "Smilodon." We have everything you need to know about these saber-toothed cats, including eight features and a profile.
Saber-toothed tigers weighed between 360 and 400 kilograms, had canines up to 28 centimeters long, and sharp claws. They were bigger and more dangerous than any of today’s big cats and lived until about 12,000 years ago, near the end of the last Ice Age.
Cool Facts About Saber-Toothed Tigers
Cool Facts About Saber-Toothed Tigers
Below, we’ll tell you where Smilodon fossils have been found, what its name means, and why it’s called a saber-toothed tiger. We’ll also let you know what other kinds of prehistoric big cats were out there.
After that, you’ll find a separate chapter with all the important features, a quick profile, and information about the predator’s extinction.
Where the Saber-Toothed Cat Was Found
A lot of Smilodon fossils have been discovered. One of the most famous spots is Rancho La Brea in California. More than 160,000 bones of Smilodon fatalis were unearthed there.
Fossils have also been found in other parts of North and South America, for example, in Florida and Patagonia. This has allowed the genus to be well-researched. The species discovered so far are Smilodon populator, Smilodon gracilis, and Smilodon fatalis.
Meaning of the Name
The name "Smilodon" comes from the ancient Greek words for "chisel" (smílē) and "tooth" (odū́s). So, you could translate its name to "chisel-tooth."
It was named in 1842 by the Danish paleontologist and zoologist Peter Wilhelm Lund. The reason for its common name, "saber-toothed tiger," is Smilodon’s distinctive canine teeth, which are shaped like sabers or daggers.
Besides saber-toothed cats, there was also the saber-toothed rhino (Uintatherium) and the saber-toothed squirrel (Cronopio dentiacutus). These unique dental features are often associated with Ice Age animals.
Other Prehistoric Big Cat Species
Smilodon Skeleton
Most prehistoric big cats were larger than today’s versions like tigers, lions, or leopards. They were heavier, had bigger teeth, and larger paws. They were equipped with these weapons to take on the giant prey animals of the Ice Age. This included creatures like the giant sloth or the mammoth.
The ancestor of Smilodon is the genus Megantereon. It’s still unclear whether its fossil finds represent one or multiple species. What is clear, however, is that it lived in the same area as the first upright human, Homo erectus, in what is now China. Other fossils have been found in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America.
Megantereon was smaller overall than its descendant Smilodon and went extinct earlier. It’s estimated to have had an average weight of 120 kilograms and a shoulder height of 70 centimeters, similar to a modern jaguar. However, it was more muscular and had a short tail.
Another relative of the saber-toothed tiger from the saber-toothed cat family is Homotherium. It weighed between 200 and 400 kilograms, grew up to 2 meters long, and was 1.1 meters tall. So, it was about the size of modern lions or tigers, but heavier. Homotherium lived in Europe, North America, and South Africa.
8 Characteristics of Smilodon
In this chapter, we’ve summarized the eight most important features of Smilodon for you. You’ll find the classification of the genus and three saber-toothed tiger species, as well as the time period and habitat where the big cat lived.
You’ll also get information about the climate, key physical features, and estimations about the saber-toothed tiger’s lifestyle and hunting behavior. Afterward, we’ve summarized the most important facts in a short profile for you.
Classification of the Genus and Species
The saber-toothed tiger is not directly related to the modern tiger
The species of the genus Smilodon belong to the class of mammals (Mammalia). They are meat-eating predators (Carnivora) and belong to the family of cats (Felidae). They are also classified in the subfamily of saber-toothed cats.
The three recognized species so far are Smilodon gracilis (gracilis = slender/slim), Smilodon fatalis (fatalis = fateful), and Smilodon populator (populator = plunderer/destroyer). Despite its name, the saber-toothed tiger was not closely related to the modern tiger.
Time Period: When the Saber-Toothed Tiger Lived
Saber-toothed tigers evolved about 2.6 million years ago and lived until about 12,000 years ago. This means they were already around in the Late Pliocene. However, the main period they lived in was the Pleistocene.
This period is also known as the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and represents the oldest part of the Stone Age, during which early humans were already using stone tools.
This time also falls into the so-called Ice Age, when the poles froze over and the Earth’s climate cooled down. Before that, there was a warm climate period when the dinosaurs lived. Within the Ice Age, there were several glacial periods, colloquially known as ice ages.
The last ice age began about 115,000 years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago. The saber-toothed tiger was already extinct about 300 years before it ended. Afterward, the Holocene began, which continues to the present day.
Habitat and Megafauna
Habitat and Megafauna
Smilodon lived on the steppes of North and South America. Fossils have been found in California, Florida, and Patagonia. Unlike its relative Homotherium, it never ventured into Europe or Asia (which was then one continent, "Eurasia").
Besides woolly mammoths and cave lions, there were also, for example, the dire wolf and the giant sloth. The animal world of the Ice Age is also referred to as megafauna, as there was a large proportion of big animals that already strongly resembled today’s animals.
Giant sloths, for example, grew as large as elephants and weighed several tons. The armadillo-like creature called Glyptodon was about the size of a VW Beetle. Cave bears weighed up to 1.5 tons and were also larger than today’s bears.
Climate
During the Pleistocene, the climate changed drastically and often. Roughly every 100,000 years, an ice age (glacial period) was followed by a warm period (interglacial) that lasted at least 10,000 years. The vast ice sheets and tundras that covered the land largely disappeared.
There were more green spaces and forests. Temperatures rose, it rained a lot, and the sea level went up. The habitat of existing species shrank and their populations declined, but they always recovered and survived.
The animals of the Pleistocene experienced such changes frequently. They were very adaptable. So, climate change alone cannot have been the reason for the extinction of the megafauna.
Physical Features, Weight, and Size
Physical Features of Smilodon
Saber-toothed tigers had shorter hind legs than front legs, which meant their upper body and shoulder area were higher than their rear. The posture is similar to that of a hyena.
They had large paws, long claws, and dagger- or saber-shaped canine teeth up to 28 centimeters long. For comparison, a lion’s fangs are just 6 centimeters long. The jaw was flexible and could open very wide.
The appearance of the saber-toothed cat is reminiscent of today’s big cats like lions or tigers. However, saber-toothed tigers had a very short tail in comparison and were more muscularly built in the neck and shoulder area. Smilodon could be up to 2.10 meters long, 1.2 meters high, and weigh up to 400 kilograms.
The largest skull found so far was 39 centimeters long. A modern lion can be similarly long but only weighs about 190 kilograms, and tigers rarely weigh more than 240 kilograms. Below is an overview of the weight classes of the saber-toothed tiger for you:
- Smilodon gracilis:
55 to 100 kilograms - Smilodon fatalis:
160 to 280 kilograms - Smilodon populator:
220 to 400 kilograms
Lifestyle and Social Behavior
There are many bone finds of Smilodon that give us clues about its lifestyle. It was discovered that there were many injuries, diseases, misalignments, deformities, and broken bones.
Saber-toothed tigers were presumably exposed to significant stress during hunting and in competition. However, animals that had suffered severe injuries lived on for years afterward, and their bones healed.
This suggests that the giant cats behaved socially towards one another and took care of each other. They also likely formed stable social groups.
Another find of an adult Smilodon and two cubs in Ecuador suggests that the animals lived with their mother until they were about two years old. This means they matured as slowly as modern lions do today.
Diet, Speed, and Hunting Behavior
Saber-toothed tiger on the hunt
Saber-toothed tigers were carnivores. They likely fed on slow-moving animals, as their body structure was not suited for fast chases. Giant sloths and proboscideans like mammoths or prehistoric elephants were potential prey, while horses or deer were less likely.
They probably pounced on their victims and then wounded them with their canines. In this scenario, young animals were the easier prey and gentler on Smilodon’s teeth. They probably caused chaos in the herds of their prey animals and then struck quickly and precisely at the neck area with their dagger-like teeth.
Life Expectancy of Smilodon
There are no exact figures on the life expectancy of Smilodon yet. However, it can be assumed that they lived to be a similar age as today’s big cats. They probably died even earlier due to the harsh living conditions.
For comparison: The life expectancy of tigers in the wild averages 8 to 10 years. In captivity, they can reach an age of 16 to 18 years, and in rare cases, even over 20 years.
Male lions in the wild live 11 to 13 years, while females live 17 to 18 years. The oldest lion in captivity lived to be 27. Leopards live 12 to 17 years.
Profile: Saber-Toothed Tiger
Profile: Saber-Toothed Tiger
In this profile, you’ll find the most important key data about the saber-toothed tiger summarized once again. This includes information on weight and size, diet, important physical characteristics, and its biological classification.
Afterward, we’ll tell you why Smilodon went extinct and how the saber-toothed tiger is portrayed in the media.
- Genus:
Smilodon ("Chisel-tooth"), common name: Saber-toothed tiger - Known Species:
S. gracilis, S. populator, S. fatalis - Subfamily:
Saber-toothed cats - Family:
Cats (Felidae) - Order:
Feliformia - Superorder:
Carnivora - Class:
Mammals (Mammalia) - Period:
Pliocene and Pleistocene (about 2.6 million – 12,000 years ago) - Habitat:
North and South America - Diet:
Carnivore - Physical Characteristics:
Long saber-like canines, longer front legs than hind legs, short tail - Length:
2.10 meters (head to torso) - Shoulder Height:
About 0.7–1.2 meters - Weight:
55–400 kilograms
Extinction of Smilodon
Extinction of Smilodon
The saber-toothed tiger Smilodon lived on Earth for nearly 2.6 million years. It shared its habitat with early humans like Homo erectus and early modern humans like archaic Homo sapiens.
The genus "Homo" hunted the large animals of the megafauna. They didn’t stop at mammoths or cave bears. This is proven by finds at gathering sites where many bones were collected.
Furthermore, bones have been found with fragments of spearheads embedded in them. They must have struck the bones with great force. This meant there was less prey for Smilodon, and it can’t be ruled out that humans also hunted it.
Saber-toothed tigers were specialized in hunting large prey. They weren’t exceptionally fast and had to protect their long teeth. This made their range of prey much smaller than that of modern lions.
Added to this were the climate changes that were already making life difficult for the animals. The current warm period began, and there was less suitable habitat for the megafauna. A combination of the factors of climate and humans likely led to the extinction of Smilodon.
The Saber-Toothed Tiger in the Media
Probably the most famous role of a saber-toothed tiger is that of "Diego" in the Ice Age film series (starting in 2002). The animated children’s movies feature many other Ice Age animals like the mammoth, the giant sloth (Megatherium), the saber-toothed squirrel (Cronopio dentiacutus), and the prehistoric warthog (Metridiochoerus).
There are also documentaries about the Ice Age that feature the saber-toothed tiger. One example is the American documentary "Walking with Beasts" (2001). Smilodon also appears in non-fiction books, and you can get it as a toy figure.
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