Sabertooth Finder For Furry Artists

Sabertooth finder by Tacimur, version 1.0b This flowchart is meant as a little help for furry artists and character designers to explore different species of "sabertooth tigers" that actually lived and find one that best fits their purposes. Nothing is wrong with creating your own species or just sticking to good old Smilodon, which were majestic and beautiful beasts that are beloved for a reason. Maybe your ideal saber did not exist in nature. But maybe you'll find inspiriation in this or learn about amazing cats you never heard of. In this case - have fun! Before you start however, keep in mind: - This is by no means a complete list of species. I've included only 16 that represent certain archetypes. - Also, while sabers could be impressively huge and heavy cats - the kind of size portrayed in movies like 10.000 BC is fantasy. - Last, when looking up reference pictures for the individual species, don't turn a saber down just because a previous artist did a questionable job with their interpretation or picked a color scheme or expression that you dislike. Some art might even make you question if the artist ever saw a cat. For all we know, sabers were not slobbery monsters but just as streamlined and striking as today's big cats. But let's get into it! First off and most importantly - fangs! How toothy do you want your saber? [[Nice long fangs!|longtooth]] [[Medium size fangs|scimitartooth]] [[I don't really care. I'm only looking for the largest, meanest cats.|top5]]

A cat with long saber teeth lived a certain, specialized lifestyle that reflected in the way that its head and body looked. All long-fanged felines had a straight, elongated face that may seem rather bizarre and uncatlike at the first glance. Unlike in today's big cats, their front teeth were sturdy and well suited for biting and ripping meat while feeding. The lower canines were reduced and were much smaller proprtionally than in modern cats. The long-toothed sabers also had rather short and stocky legs as well as a sloping, shortened back and immensely powerful shoulders. Also, their tails were tiny - not like wolf tails or even half length - but tiny. They all were a sight to behold and very strong, but how monstrous do you want your cat? [[Still kind of elegant|megan-smilo]] [[Let's go full monster!|Barbourofelis]]

The so called scimitar-toothed cats were a very diverse and widespread group, of which this flow chart will only present a small section. Early forms were generally smaller and looked much more like the pantherine cats we are used to. During the course of their evolution they tended to adapt a more specialized lifestyle, which brought with it changes in their body plan. There are several ways to split up the scimitartooths, depending on what kind of look you are going for. [[Long-tailed, catlike ones|long-tailed]] [[Short-tailed, long-limbed runners|late-homotherini]] [[Half-ton behemoths|largest-homotherini]] [[Or how about a few special freaks where nature just went overboard with one trait|supercats]]

Smilodon Smilodons are the archetypical sabertooth tigers. Geographically confined to the Americas, these cats showed the typical morphological adaptions of the long-fanged sabers. However, with its proud but smooth chin and its straight, alert-looking profile, it seemed much more balanced than the late Homotherini or the clunky Barbourofelids. Smilodon is traditionally reconstructed with muted and uniform fur colors typical for grassland species. However, its habitat was varied and included tree-rich landscapes. As an ambush predator, spotted and striped patterns would have helped its hunting strategy. 'Smilodon' refers to a whole genus with several species, just like 'Panthera' refers to a group that contains species as different as the lion, tiger and leopard. Therefore, it helps to specify which Smilodon you want to depict. [[The titanic devastating South American Smilodon|Smilodon-populator]] [[The famous medium sized North American Smilodon|Smilodon-fatalis]] [[The sleek, more catlike Panamerican Smilodon|Smilodon-gracilis]] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilodon" target="_blank">Smilodon on Wikipedia</a>

Barbourofelis fricki Strictly speaking, this was not a true cat. At first however, it was grouped with true cats, then with the Nimravid pseudo cats, then got its own family, the Barbourofelidae. Typical artistic interpretations range from fully feline to a more mixed form where ears, fur pattern and nose are meant to emphasize the difference. For you, this means that you have a great measure of artistic freedom when tackling this beast. There were of course other Barbourofelids, but this was the biggest. It had the largest teeth, the greatest strength and the most brutal appearance with its massive lower jaw and the short, powerful legs. The shoulder height of this cat was about 90 cm - which does not seem much at the first glance, but it was very muscular and strong, resembling a bear more than a sleek modern cat or lion. Killing prey would have resulted in lots of spilt gore, followed by a wild competitive feeding frenzy among the pride. Its preferred habitat provided lots of variation in cover and light. This means that strong patterns would not have hindered its camouflage, if you feel inclined to give it one. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Barbourofelis-fricki" target="_blank">Barbourofelis fricki on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbourofelis" target="_blank">Barbourofelis on Wikipedia</a>

Smilodon populator This was perhaps the largest felid of all times, weighing possibly more than 400kg for large individuals, and standing at a shoulder height of incredible 120cm. If not the largest general felid, it was certainly the mightiest of all sabertooth cats. Of all the three Smilodons, it had the longest, straightest skull and the most massive limbs. Feel free to emphasize the shoulder region and forelegs, as this was where most of its power was concentrated. It also had a fairly long, muscular neck. This cat did not occur outside of South America, nor did the North American sabertooth tigers ever reach close to its size. The name 'populator' translates to 'he who brings devastation'. <a href="https://t.co/gWmRmdZPFb" target="_blank">Smilodon populator on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a>

Smilodon fatalis This was the medium sized Smilodon variety that most people think about when they hear the term "sabertooth tiger". Native to North America, S. fatalis weighed up to 280kg for large individuals and stood at a shoulder height of 100 cm. Thus, it was as tall as a modern lion but noticably more dense and powerful. However, the lion this cat had to go toe to toe with was the terrible American Lion - a competitor for the title of largest cat of all times - and it was also bested by the freakishly powerful, but shorter-fanged [[Xenosmilus]]. Let's however not downplay the fact that Smilodon fatalis was a very successful species with a highly developed social behaviour, a mighty predator and has become a cultural icon like no other prehistoric cat. Compared to the larger Smilodon of South America, it had a shorter neck and a slightly shorter face, but still longer than in modern lions. The downward slope of its back was noticable, ending in rather short hind legs and propped up by powerfully muscled forelegs, ideal for grappling prey. Feel free to emphasize the shoulder region accordingly. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Smilodon-fatalis-hunt" target="_blank">Smilodon fatalis on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a>

Smilodon gracilis This was the smallest of the three Smilodon species, and the most pantherine in build. So if the long face / sloping short back / short hindlegs combo is not what you had in mind aesthetically, this might be your best guess at a long-fanged sabertooth, since in this species these characteristics were not as pronounced. Instead, the profile was more similar to a lion, if though still straighter, and the back had the concave shape we are used to from modern cats. Its limbs were of an elegant shape and medium long. S. gracilis was generally smaller than a modern lion, with a shoulder height of about 75cm and a weight of 150kg at most. This cat occurred throughout North and South America and may have existed in numerous local varieties in appearance, as modern tigers do. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Smilodon-gracilis" target="_blank">Smilodon gracilis on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a>

Xenosmilus hodsonae This cat was a true freak of nature. With teeth that make you think "Tyrannosaurus" before "cat" and a body made of pure condensed muscle, Xenosmilus does not only rank among the heaviest, strongest sabertooth cats of all times but takes the prize of scariest feline in history. It weighed up to 400 kg and was 105 cm tall at the shoulder. While cats with medium-sized fangs usually had longer, more slender limbs, Xenosmilus was very compact and had short legs. Temporarily, it was even believed to walk partially plantigrade like a bear, but modern reconstructions depict it with a fully digitigrade stance. Its particular front teeth earned Xenosmilus the nickname "cookie cutter cat". In theory, it would bite and rip large chunks of flesh out of its prey, leading to rapid blood loss. It's believed to have preyed on peccaries. Wild pigs are generally very hard to kill, so Xenosmilus extreme adaptations make sense. Xenosmilus has only been found in Florida so far. While it occurred, even [[Smilodon]] could not establish populations there. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Xenosmilus-hodsonae" target="_blank">Xenosmilus hodsonae on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenosmilus" target="_blank">Xenosmilus on Wikipedia</a>

There are two genus of sabertooths that were both long fanged and distinctly feline in appearance, Megantereon and Smilodon. While Smilodon was confined to the Americas, Megantereon could be found in Eurasia and Africa as well. There were some differences in appearance, too. What look do you prefer? [[Classical sabertooth look|Smilodon]] [[Jaguar-like body and a bigger chin|Megantereon]]

Megantereon This cat was so successful that it populated much of the known world during its time. It had the typical adaptations of the long-fanged sabertooth cats, looking rather foreign to a modern viewer, but to a slightly lesser degree than the later Smilodon. Especially the strong forelimbs are noticable at first glance. Megantereon's legs were generally rather short, giving the cat a jaguar-like appearance. However, Megantereon's lover jaw had a bony flange at the front that artists like to show to varying degrees. It was 80cm tall at the shoulder and could reach a weight of over 100 kg, earlier estimates dimensioned the cat a bit smaller and much lighter. Megantereon is typically reconstructed with strong patterns, like modern cat species that tend to stick to cover and wooded habitats. It's also believed that it could climb trees. Megantereon refers to a whole genus of species, the most known of which are M. cultridens and M. inexpectatus. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Megantereon" target="_blank">Megantereon on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megantereon" target="_blank">Megantereon on Wikipedia</a>

Straight to the meat, is it? Alright... All of the large sabertooth cats had certain adaptations in morphology, as they lived a very specialized lifestyle. They all had a straight, elongated face that may seem rather bizarre and uncatlike at the first glance. Unlike in today's big cats, their front teeth were sturdy and well suited for biting and ripping meat while feeding. The lower canines were reduced and were much smaller proprtionally than in modern cats. They also had rather short and stocky legs as well as a sloping, shortened back and immensely powerful shoulders. There is no definitive order, as all estimates of size and weight are expressed in ranges, also every species had smaller and larger individuals. Females were generally thought to be smaller and lighter than males. [[The biggest|Smilodon-populator]] [[The scariest|Xenosmilus]] [[The most catlike|Machairodus-horribilis]] [[Runner-up for most catlike|Amphimachairodus-kabir]] [[Heaviest in Europe|Homotherium-crenatidens]]

Machairodus horribilis This too was one of the largest, most monstrous cats of all time. Depending on which sources you believe, it may even outrank [[Smilodon populator|Smilodon-populator]] as the largest sabertooth cat. It is certainly the largest Machairodus and the heaviest at a good 400kg. Its exact shoulder height is hard to find, but with a body length of 3,1m it was as big as a male polar bear. Interestingly, its skull is not as flattened as that of other large scimitar cats, but rather rounded - if though still longer from front to back than a lion's. It also had the largest skull of all sabertooth cats. What makes it different is that it hunted smaller prey. Therefore, it did not evolve such a crushing bite and wide gape as many other sabertooth cats, only 70° - comparable with modern lions again. So when designing this cat, keep in mind: relatively long tail, muscular body, pleasantly sloped and slightly elongated face, legs roughly equal length. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Machairodus-horribilis" target="_blank">Machairodus horribilis on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machairodus" target="_blank">Machairodus on Wikipedia</a>

Amphimachairodus kabir This was one of the most monstrous cats of all time. At home in Africa, this colossus stood 130cm high at the shoulder, which tops even the largest tigers of today, and almost every other prehistoric cat, rivaling even the infamous American Lion and Moosbach Lion. Its weight can be estimated upwards of 350kg, perhaps 400kg. It had a satisfyingly long, swishy tail and relatively long, evenly proportioned legs. The only thing that looks distinctly unfamiliar is its long, narrow head. The fur was perhaps not patterned too brightly, as would be typical for species of open plains and light woodland. Like A. coloradensis, this cat was first assigned to the genus Machairodus and only recently moved into Amphimachairodus, which might help you when doing research on the species. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Machairodus-kabir" target="_blank">(Amphi)machairodus kabir on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphimachairodus" target="_blank">Amphimachairodus on Wikipedia</a>

Homotherium crenatidens This was an oversized early Homotherium from Europe, thought to be the direct descendant of [[Amphimachairodus kabir|Amphimachairodus-kabir]] and an earlier form of [[Homotherium latidens|late-homotherini]]. Whatever the systematics - this huge feline stood about 1,1m tall at the shoulders and weighed up to 400kg - as heavy as a horse. It sported a short tail and a noticably elongated muzzle, but did not possess the long forelegs and downward sloping back to the same degree as its later, lighter family members did. It too preyed on young mammoths and other pachyderms. Therefore, its fangs were serrated at the edge, however, these little saw teeth wore away rather quickly. When drawing this cat, give it a heavy look and strong shoulders, and don't forget the dewclaws, which were rather prominent. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Homotherium-crenatidens" target="_blank">Homotherium crenatidens on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homotherium" target="_blank">Homotherium on Wikipedia</a>

Calling them long-tailed is an exaggeration, though. Many of the scimitar-toothed cats, especially the early ones, however retained a half-length tail. Some forms also had a comparably short, pantherine-looking muzzle. Their back was relatively long and curved, not as short and stiff as in many of the more derived sabertooth cats. What look would you prefer for your "long-tailed" saber? [[As huge as possible!|longtail-large]] [[Short-faced sounds interesting|medium-scimitars]]

Homotherium serum and Homotherium latidens The most derived scimitar-toothed cats belonged to the genus Homotherium. It contained a number of interesting species, but here I'll highlight the two most typical and most well-known ones. These late Homotherii had a distinct look to them: Long, rather thin looking forelegs, a strongly sloping back, a long and narrow head, a long, powerful neck and a shortened back, ending in a very small tail. They lived on the open plains and were enduring travellers that covered large distances in groups in search for prey. They were specialized hunters of pachyderms, whose thick skin they could pierce with their flattened, knife-like teeth. Both species are very similar so you just take your pick: H. serum in North America or H. latidens in Eurasia <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Homotherium-latidens" target="_blank">Homotherium latidens on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Homotherium-serum" target="_blank">Homotherium serum on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homotherium" target="_blank">Homotherium on Wikipedia</a>

Well, perhaps not really half a ton, but the largest scimitar toothed cats could reach 400kg in weight or even more. Compared to let's say Smilodon they also looked a bit more traditionally feline, but what you'll notice right away is the long, narrow face. Side view shows the long muzzle, but a top view would show you the narrow cheeks as well. They had relatively short lower canines and strong incisors, resulting in a surprisingly uniform row of sturdy teeth in the lower jaw, but also between the saber fangs. Now, you prioritize. [[Bobtailed, from Europe|Homotherium-crenatidens]] [[Bobtailed, with mega strength, North America|Xenosmilus]] [[Half-tailed, Asia and Africa|longtail-large]]

Scimitar cats with special attributes [[Super claw|Lokotunjailurus]] [[Super bite|Xenosmilus]]

Lokotunjailurus This was an African genus, containing two species. This lithe cat stood 90cm high at the shoulder, thus comparible to a modern lioness, however with longer legs in proportion and a more slender body. The neck was relatively long, and its tail was a little less than half-length, thus inspiring many artists to give it a serval-like pattern. It had a gracefully proportioned, straight face with fangs that did not reach past its chin. Its distinctive feature were its very large dewclaws on the front paws. What 'raptor cat' did with them is not entirely clear, but they must have been of great importance while grappling with prey. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Lokotunjailurus-emageritus" target="_blank">Lokotunjailurus emageritus on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokotunjailurus" target="_blank">Lokotunjailurus on Wikipedia</a>

Machairodus aphanistus This was an early scimitar-toothed cat. What you'll notice right away is that it has enlarged lower canine teeth like a modern pantherine cat, a relatively short muzzle that isn't as straightened and also a rather long back and legs. Males were generally much larger than females. Large animals were 95cm high at the shoulder and weighed up to 160 kg. This cat occurred on most contintents but seems to have preferred open habitats. Therefore it was likely to have a rather uniform coloration. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Machairodus-aphanistus" target="_blank">Machairodus aphanistus on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a>

So, basically a half-ton tiger with neat saber fangs? And you're okay with a bit of a "banana head"? We have just the selection for you! All are quite similar in looks and feel, so it's hard to draw any other lines than geography at this point. However, one has a weaker bite. What will it be? [[From Africa, stronger bite|Amphimachairodus-kabir]] [[From China, bigger size|Machairodus-horribilis]] [[The American one may have been just as large|Amphimachairodus-coloradensis]]

Let's zero in on the shorter-faced sabers. Make mine... [[As catlike as possible!|cattysabers]] [[Well, a bit more of that 'saber' look is fine|Amphimachairodus-coloradensis]] [[Really leggy with huge claws?|Lokotunjailurus]]

Amphimachairodus coloradensis This cat represented an intermediate stage in the transition from more cat-shaped to more sabertooth-shaped, if you will. It lived during the Miocene in North America. At first, it was classed as a Machairodus species but was then assigned a new genus. In size, it was comparable to a lion and had a shoulder height of about 1m, weighing up to 160 kg. Newer estimates however place it at 1,2m height, in which case it would fall straight into the half-ton behemoth category as one of the largest cats. When designing this feline to your wishes, make its forelimbs a bit stronger than its hind limbs and flatten out the head just slightly. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Machairodus-coloradensis" target="_blank">(Amphi)machairodus coloradensis on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphimachairodus" target="_blank">Amphimachairodus on Wikipedia</a>

So you want a sabertooth that looks as much as possible like a 'normal' cat, just with fangs. Anything else? [[And I want it lion-sized|Machairodus-aphanistus]] [[And I want it jaguar-sized|Dinofelis]] [[And I want the tiniest little sabertooth!|Dinictis]]

Dinofelis Dinofelis was a genus of medium sized sabertooths, 70cm in height and up to 120kg heavy. They had a half-length tail and preferred close or forested habitats, which might not only have made their lifestyle resemble that of a jaguar, but possibly also their patterning. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Dinofelis-barlowi" target="_blank">A sample Dinofelis (barlowi) on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinofelis" target="_blank">Dinofelis on Wikipedia</a>

Dinictis felina This was not a true cat, but a pseudo-cat of the nimravid family, who for the longest time were thought to be the direct ancestors of real cats. Dinictis was a small (0,6 m shoulder height), very feline looking thing with a long tail, a flexible spine and long hind legs. It was probably a good climber and spent lots of time in trees, but ventured out into the plains to hunt as well. Think leopard with saber teeth. Its jaws however could open wider and looked stronger. In terms of fur pattern, it would certainly have profited from a contrast-rich pattern to camouflage it against the light and shadow of its forest home. Nimravids are portrayed in a number of ways by artists. We know that their skeleton looked amost identical to a true cat's, so many artists like to go for a fully feline look. Others take inspiration in other animal groups to give Nimravids a more individual feel. Really, it's up to you. <a href="http://prehistoric-fauna.com/Dinictis-felina" target="_blank">Dinictis felina on Prehistoric-Fauna.com</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinictis" target="_blank">Dinictis on Wikipedia</a>