What are saber-toothed cats?
Q: What are saber-toothed cats?
A: Saber-toothed cats, also known as sabretooth cats, were some of the best known and most popular extinct animals. They were impressive carnivores that had long canines and jaws which opened wider than modern cats.
Q: How many times did the saber-tooth style of life evolve?
A: The saber-tooth style of life evolved at least five times amongst carnivorous mammals.
Q: What is an example of a Creodont?
A: Machaeroides and Apataelurus are examples of Creodonts.
Q: What is an example of a Nimravid?
A: Hoplophoneus is an example of a Nimravid.
Q: What type of mammal was Thylacosmilus?
A: Thylacosmilus was a metatherian group of mammals.
Q: How did saber tooths kill their prey?
A: Saber tooths would hide in wait, then pounce on their prey and hang on round the neck, gripping and slashing the underside with their canine teeth to cause death by blood loss or lack of air supply.
Q: Why did they become extinct?
A: Saber tooths became extinct due to climate change as the world cooled and grassland took over from woodland in the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs.
