Saber-toothed tiger

Smilodon fatalis

Eleven inches of extremely fragile canines

Numbers

Weight: 620 lbupper limit of Smilodon fatalis, from 350 to 620 lb; S. gracilis is between 120 and 220 lb, S. populator between 480 and 960 lb, with a maximum proposed estimate of 1,030 lb. Wikidata reports 620 lb
Length: 69 inbody length of Smilodon fatalis, the intermediate species; matches the Wikidata value
Height: 39 inshoulder height of Smilodon fatalis; Smilodon populator reached 47 in
Lifespan: 2500000 yearsPleistocene and early Holocene, from about 2.5 million years ago until 10,000 years ago
Canini: 11 inmeasured in Smilodon populator, the largest species: these are the longest canines ever found in a saber-toothed cat
Peso massimo: 960 lbindividual of Smilodon populator deduced from a 15-inch skull found in Uruguay
Impronta: 7,6 infootprints found in Argentina, 6.9 by 7.6 inches, much larger than those of a Bengal tiger

the small p3 premolar is present in most early fossils found, but in only six percent of La Brea specimens.
the name of the largest species, populator, means destroyer, or even the one who brings devastation upon the land.
in 1839 Peter Wilhelm Lund mistook the first discovered teeth for those of a hyena and named them Hyaena neogaea.
the heel bone was quite long, a trait that in modern living animals indicates a very good jumper.
it is the official state fossil of California, thanks to the discoveries made in the Los Angeles tar pits.
isotopes preserved inside its bones show that in North America it hunted mostly ancient bison and giant camels.
a young glyptodont skull shows bite marks matching its long canines, because its bony armor was not yet complete.
in 1969 scientists proposed it looked like a bulldog with low lips and small ears, but this idea was disputed.
it could not crush the bones of its prey, leaving plenty of meat behind for scavengers that arrived later.
its body proportions resemble those of modern forest cats rather than those of swift open plain hunters.

Five questions about this animal. Pick an answer and find out if it is the right one.

Question 1 of 5

Was the saber-toothed tiger related to modern tigers?

Question 2 of 5

How long were the upper canines of the largest species?

Question 3 of 5

Why did it not use its canines to crush bones?

Question 4 of 5

Where is the largest collection of its fossils located?

Question 5 of 5

Did it hunt in packs or alone?

Experiment 1

Cut two eleven-inch blades from cardboard, hold them beside your mouth in front of a mirror, and try to close your lips to see how long they were.

Experiment 2

Draw a footprint seven by eight inches on paper, just like the ones found in Argentina, and compare it with the palm of your open hand.

Experiment 3

Ask an adult to lift a forty-four pound backpack, then calculate how many times it fits into nine hundred sixty pounds, its maximum weight.