The Saber-toothed Cat (Smilodon fatalis) is a large prehistoric North American felid. It is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon 2 and Zoo Tycoon 2 DS.
Description[]
The term "Saber-toothed Cat" refers to various groups of prehistoric cats identifiable by their large upper canine teeth, which in some species can grow to 30cm long. Smilodon fatalis, or "Deadly Knife Tooth", is one of the largest and the most well-known of the Saber-toothed Cats. Although similar in size to modern day big cats, it was bulkier, weighing up to 280kg (620lbs). It is informally known as the "Saber-toothed Tiger", but in reality is only distantly related to living felids.
Smilodon lived across the Americas until as recently as ten thousand years ago, with Smilodon fatalis primarily found in North America. It would have hunted large prey such as bison and camels, holding them down with its powerful front legs and driving its large canines into the soft tissues of the neck, likely aiming for the jugular veins to make the prey quickly bleed out. It is believed to have inhabited forested regions and may have lived and hunted in groups, possibly similar to modern lions. Although unclear, it is possible that the Saber-toothed Cat became extinct due to its reliance on large prey animals, that also went extinct around the same time.
Zoo Tycoon[]
The Saber-Toothed Cat is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon. It was made available in the Dinosaur Digs expansion pack and in Freeform Mode, it is one of five prehistoric animals available for adoption at the start of the game. It also features in several of the games scenarios.
The Saber-Toothed Cat is a Tundra animal, although it also requires a lot of grey stone and a small amount of brown stone in its exhibit. Its favorite foliage is the Arctic Bush and it likes an elevated exhibit with hills. It is portrayed as a social animal, having a minimum social group requirement of 3.
 Animal Facts
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| The Smilodon, or "knife tooth," fossil is so well known that it was named the official state fossil of California. Most people know this large mammal by its more common name--the Sabre-tooth Cat. Smilodon is actually the largest of the sabre-toothed family of cats, which also includes Hoplophoneus, Eusmilus, and Machairodus.
During the last Ice Age, Smilodon was commonly found all over both North and South America. Out of this great domain, the Sabre-toothed Cat preferred low-lying grasslands, shrub lands, and pine forests. During the Ice Age, these animals ranged far and wide to locate prey, and to avoid the enormous glaciers that covered the land. Today, your zoo may be the only place your visitors can see these magnificent felines, but early humans painted tributes to Smilodon on their cave walls more than 6,000 years ago. Unfortunately, humans also proved to be the greatest threat to Smilodon's survival, overhunting them to the edge of extinction. Smilodon will prey on many of the large animals from the Ice Age. This ferocious predator's diet includes mammoths, mastodons, and other large mammals like Ceolodonta, the Wooly Rhinocerous. Smilodon is also known to prey on animals that are more common today, including horses, elephants, and bison. An adult Smilodon may grow to be four feet long, with a mass of 400 pounds. Since many of Smilodon's prey animals are much larger, simple hunting techniques do not always work for the Sabre-tooth Cat. Instead, Smilodon uses the huge teeth on its upper jaw to make a deep wound in its prey. These teeth are oval in cross section, which lowers resistance as they sink into prey. They are also serrated along the rear edge, deepening the wounds they cause. After wounding prey in this manner, Smilodon can then retreat, waiting for the prey to bleed to death before returning to enjoy its meal. |
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
The Saber-Toothed Cat is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon 2 and was added as part of the Extinct Animals expansion pack. In Campaign and Challenge mode, it is available for adoption once a zoo reaches a rating of 4 stars.
The Saber-Toothed Cat is a Boreal Forest animal, but can tolerate the tundra, grassland, alpine, and temperate forest biomes to a degree. It also has two Skin Variants; one is white with blue eyes, similar to a white tiger, and the other is black with green eyes, similar to a black leopard.
 zootycoon.com Description
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| The saber-toothed cat, commonly called the saber-toothed tiger, was a large, powerful feline about the size of a lion and lived more than 11,000 years ago. It had long, curved canine teeth shaped like sabers. Because its short, muscular legs provided power but not speed, the saber-toothed cat probably fed on slow-moving prey such as American mastodons. Some scientists believe the size of a saber-toothed cat’s teeth may have helped it establish dominance among other cats or attract a mate, similar to the function of horns and antlers in other male animals. |
 Zoopedia Zoopedia Description
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| Saber-toothed cats lived in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres, beginning about 40 million years They became extinot around 11,000 years ago.
The saber-toothed cat, commonly called the saber-toothed tiger, was a large, powerful cat about the size of a lion. It had long, curved canine teeth shaped Nihe abersScienlists have identifed the fosaile or three kinidt of tabertoothed cats that coeisted in North America. The best known was Smiladon, recognized by its long. finely serrated canine teeth. Because its short, muscular legs provided pover but not speed, Smilodon fatalis probably fed on slow-moving prey such as American mastadons. I would use its vicious, knifelike canines to deliver a fatal wound to the belly, throat. or neck of its prey. Some scientists believe the size of asaber-toothed cars reeth may have helped it eskablish dominance among other cats or attract a mate, similar lo the function of horns and antlers in other male animals Diet: carnivore: size: 1.2 m （4f） tall at the shoulder weight: up to 200 kg （440 1b） Fun Facts
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Gallery[]
Zoo Tycoon[]
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
Trivia[]
- In Zoo Tycoon 2, the saber-toothed cat unusually does not have a higher cost compared to other extinct animals of the same zoo fame requirement. This makes the saber-toothed cat ideal for challenge zoos and campaigns due to the lower relative cost.
- The Animal Facts in Zoo Tycoon claim that Smilodon would have hunted wooly rhinos and living elephants. However, Smilodon would never have encountered species from Asia or Africa as its range was restricted to the Americas.
- The saber-toothed cat's render from its Hints and Tips page shows the animal with a tiger texture instead of the more plain texture seen in Zoo Tycoon. This render would be reused for the saber-toothed cat card in the Zoo Tycoon Card Flip game.
- Interestingly, concept art for the saber-toothed cat in Extinct Animals also gives the animal a more tiger-like patterning. There also exists an unused model that has its texture mapped to match the texture of the Bengal tiger, further supporting an earlier tiger-like design.
| Zoo Tycoon 2 DS animals | |
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| Standard Animals | African Elephant • Black Panther • Black Rhinoceros • California Sea Lion • Cheetah • Chimpanzee • Dolphin • Dromedary Camel • Galapagos Giant Tortoise • Giant Sable Antelope • Gray Wolf • Greater Flamingo • Grizzly Bear • Komodo Dragon • Lion • Masai Giraffe • Moose • Nile Crocodile • Ostrich • Orangutan • Polar Bear • Pygmy Hippopotamus • Red Kangaroo • Spanish Lynx • Wolverine • Zebra |
| Star Animals | American Beaver • Emperor Penguin • Giant Panda • Koala • Mountain Gorilla • Sea Otter |
| Amazing Animals | Saber-toothed Tiger • Triceratops • Unicorn • Yeti |