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Prehistoric Life

How tall was Smilodon fatalis?

Smilodon fatalis stood about 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) at the shoulder.

What is measured: saber-toothed cat, shoulder height

Smilodon fatalis (1.2 m) drawn to scale beside a bowling pin (38.1 cm) and an adult person (1.7 m)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Bowling pin (38.1 cm), Smilodon fatalis (1.2 m) and Adult person (1.7 m).

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How big is that, really?

  • A little shorter than an adult person
  • About 60% of the height of a doorway
  • About 3.1× as tall as a bowling pin
  • About 8.2× as tall as a smartphone
  • About 20% of the length of a 20-foot shipping container

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Facts about Smilodon fatalis

Smilodon fatalis had unusually powerful forelimbs, which likely helped it restrain large prey.

Source: La Brea Tar Pits, Smilodon; Encyclopaedia Britannica, Smilodon

Prehistoric Life

NameSizeCompared with Smilodon fatalis
Anomalocaris canadensis1 m (3 ft 3 in)0.83×
Australopithecus afarensis1.1 m (3 ft 7 in)0.92×
Smilodon1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)same size
Sinosauropteryx prima1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)same size
Heterodontosaurus tucki1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)same size
Smilodon fatalis1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)this page
Thylacosmilus atrox1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)same size
Compsognathus longipes1.25 m (4 ft 1 in)1×
Cave bear1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)1.1×
Paranthropus boisei1.4 m (4 ft 7 in)1.2×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Smilodon fatalis or Anomalocaris canadensis?

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