A
saber-toothed cat (alternatively spelled
sabre-toothed cat) is any member of various extinct groups of predatory mammals that were characterized by long, curved
saber-shaped canine teeth. The large
maxillary canine teeth extended from the mouth even when it was closed. The saber-toothed cats were found worldwide from the
Eocene epoch to the end of the
Pleistocene epoch (42
mya – 11,000 years ago), existing for about .