Scimitar Cat

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Scimitar Cat
Front Back
Monsters of the Past
Previous	Borhyaena
Next	Saltasaurus
Card	40
Creature Features
Genus/Species	Homotherium/Various
Size	Length up to 5 ft.; Shoulder height up to 3.5 ft.; Weight up to 500 lbs.
Where?	Fossils have been found in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa
When?	3 million to 10,000 years ago
Prey	Young mammals and other plant-eating mammals
Did You Know?
The paleontologist who first found a scimitar cat's fossil teeth thought the creature was a prehistoric bear.

As big as lions, scimitar cats looked like a cross between hyenas and cheetahs. But their teeth were uniquely their own. Scimitar cats sported long curved canines that were sharp as razors and used for deadly slicing. These predators lived in family-like groups and hunted together to snag the biggest prey they could find, especially mammoths.

Clean Cut: The name "scimitar cat" comes from this beast's teeth. Its 4-inch-long, curving canines resembled a curved sword, called a scimitar. These teeth cut easily through prey's flesh.

The Long Run: This ancient cat's front legs were long, and its back sloped toward the rear, like a hyena's. That build allowed scimitar cats to chase after prey over long distances and make powerful pounces.

Mammoth Catch

When mammoths died out 10,000 years ago, so did many of their predators, including scimitar cats.

Several scimitar cat fossils have been found together, which leads scientists to believe that these prehistoric felines lived in large groups. Large prey would have been no problem for a pack of these vicious predators. More than 300 teeth of baby mammoths were found with a group of young scimitar cat fossils, revealing a clear hunting strategy-the adult cats killed the mammoths and dragged the carcasses back to their young.

Different Color Coats: Experts think scimitar cats looked different in different areas of the world. Northern populations may have had white fur, while those that lived in grasslands were probably yellow with black spots or stripes.

Cave Cat: Scimitar cat fossils around the world have been found in ancient caves. Like early humans, scimitar families found protection from the elements in these natural shelters.

Only the Strong Survive

1. Spotting a young mammoth away from its herd, two scimitar cats attack the easy target with their sharp claws and teeth.
2. Before the cats make the kill, the adult mammoths hear the cries of their young. The beasts charge at the attackers and scare them off.
3. The young mammoth is too weak to continue, so the adults leave it behind. The scimitar cats keep watch and move back in to finish the job.

Trading Card

Scimitar Cat Long legs gave the scimitar cat the ability to chase after prey through the prehistoric landscape. These cats hunted in packs, and their long, razor-sharp canine teeth made them deadly predators. Say What? This cat can run at speeds close to 40 mph. Stats Life 120 Attack 7 Defense 4

Trivia

• It is stated that the northern species of the genus may have had white fur. While this theoretically may be the case for other species, a cub of the Eurasian species H. latidens (the most famous northern species) frozen in ice that was described in 2024 has chocolate-colored fur with a white beard.
• The Scimitar Cat is listed on Trading Card Checklist 2 as Homotherium.