Sabretoothed cats, artwork. These predatory cats belonged to the genus Smilodon, which thrived between 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 years ago throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Sabretoothed cats were the same sizes as tigers or lions but were more robustly built, like bears. They had large (up to 17 centimetres long) serrated canine teeth, which they used to give fatal wounds to their prey and fight off competitors.
