| Diet | Carnivore |
| Height | 1.2m |
| Length | 2m |
| Weight | 280 kg |
| Speed | 50 km/h |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cenozoic |
| Period | Pleistocene |
| Type | Other |
| Location | Americas |
Although never a dinosaur, Smilodon is one of the most famous prehistoric mammals that lived long after dinosaurs went extinct. This remarkable saber-toothed cat prowled the Americas from about 4.7 million to 11,700 years ago, during the Pleistocene epoch. Despite being commonly called the 'saber-toothed tiger', Smilodon was not closely related to modern tigers, belonging instead to an extinct subfamily of cats that diverged from the ancestors of living cats around 20 million years ago.
Smilodon was built like a powerful, muscular cat with a robust body designed for taking down large prey. The most striking feature was its enormous canine teeth - curved, blade-like sabres that could grow up to 18cm long in the largest species. These cats had shorter tails than modern big cats, incredibly strong forelimbs, and a broad skull to accommodate massive jaw muscles. Three species are recognised: the smallest S. gracilis, the well-known S. fatalis, and the largest S. populator, which was one of the biggest cats ever to have lived.
These prehistoric predators were ambush hunters that likely targeted large mammals such as bison, ground sloths, and young mammoths. Rather than delivering killing bites to the throat like modern big cats, Smilodon probably used its sabre teeth to slash major blood vessels, then waited for its prey to weaken. The cats lived in social groups, as evidenced by fossils showing healed injuries that would have required care from other individuals.
Smilodon became extinct at the end of the last ice age, possibly due to climate change and the disappearance of their large prey species as humans spread across the Americas.
Smilodon's most distinctive features were its massive curved canine teeth that could reach 18cm in length, resembling deadly daggers. It had an unusually robust, muscular build with powerful forelimbs and shoulders, plus a broad skull with pronounced muscle attachments for its incredibly strong bite.
Smilodon was likely a social hunter that lived and hunted in groups, similar to modern lions. Evidence suggests they cared for injured pack members, as fossils show healed wounds that would have been fatal without assistance. They were ambush predators that used their powerful build to wrestle down large prey before delivering precise slashing wounds with their sabre teeth.
Smilodon frequently appears in prehistoric documentaries and films, most notably in the Ice Age animated film series where the character Diego is a Smilodon. They also feature in many video games and museum exhibits as iconic representatives of Ice Age megafauna.
Smilodon was first described by Peter Wilhelm Lund in 1842. The original fossils were discovered at Brazil.
