Smilodon probably lived in closed habitats such as forests and bush, which would have provided cover for ambushing prey. Scientists debate whether Smilodon had a social or a solitary lifestyle analysis of modern predator behavior as well as of Smilodon 's fossil remains could be construed to lend support to either view.
Smilodon is thought to have killed its prey by holding it still with its forelimbs and biting it, but it is unclear in what manner the bite itself was delivered. In North America, Smilodon hunted large herbivores such as bison and camels, and it remained successful even when encountering new prey species in South America. The coat pattern of Smilodon is unknown, but it has been artistically restored with plain or spotted patterns. S. populator from South America was the largest species, at 220 to 436 kg (485 to 961 lb) in weight and 120 cm (47 in) in height, and was among the largest known felids. Both of these species are mainly known from North America, but remains from South America have also been attributed to them. S. gracilis was the smallest species at 55 to 100 kg (120 to 220 lb) in weight. Its jaw had a bigger gape than that of modern cats, and its upper canines were slender and fragile, being adapted for precision killing.
Overall, Smilodon was more robustly built than any extant cat, with particularly well-developed forelimbs and exceptionally long upper canine teeth. The hundreds of individuals obtained from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles constitute the largest collection of Smilodon fossils. The two latter species were probably descended from S. gracilis, which itself probably evolved from Megantereon. Three species are recognized today: S. gracilis, S. fatalis, and S. populator. The genus was named in 1842 based on fossils from Brazil the generic name means "scalpel" or "two-edged knife" combined with "tooth". Smilodon lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene epoch (2.5 mya – 10,000 years ago). Although commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger, it was not closely related to the tiger or other modern cats. It is one of the most famous prehistoric mammals and the best known saber-toothed cat. Smilodon is a genus of the extinct machairodont subfamily of the felids. Megantereon gracilis Broom & Schepers 1946.Smilodon ( Smilodontopsis) gracilis Merriam & Stock, 1932.Machaerodus ( Smilodon) gracilis Cope, 1899.
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