Ancient Animals: Saber-toothed Cat

Welcome to California, sixteen thousand years ago. A saber-toothed cat is waiting for prey.

Perfect for beginning readers who love dinosaurs and prehistoric beasties, this clear and succinct introduction explains how we think saber-toothed cats lived, hunted, and became extinct.

Full of interesting facts, new vocabulary, and compelling illustrations, kids are sure to enjoy poring over this thrilling and scientifically accurate adventure. Back matter explores other large-toothed predators and provides additional print, visual, and web resources.The Ancient Animals series continues with a look at what's known about the saber-toothed cats that lived thousands of years ago. An imagined hunting scene kicks off this introduction to saber-toothed cats, a well-camouflaged Smilodon fatalis hiding under a bush while a bear, a lion and two wolves pass by (all in the same illustration). A bison is the cat's prey. Using its strong legs and sharp claws, the cat drags down the bison, killing it with either a bite to the throat or a slash to the bison's stomach or side. Thomson goes on to explain how we know so much about these ancient cats: Bones found in asphalt tell us about its size, and from that, scientists can determine what it ate, how it caught its prey and a bit about its social groups. Scientists think that these cats became extinct because of competition for prey: Early humans hunted the same animals, and there was less prey to go around because a warming climate meant less grass for them to eat. Plant's acrylic gouache illustrations are quite realistic, and each animal is helpfully labeled with its scientific name. Backmatter includes a list of other "large-toothed hunter[s]" and resources for finding out more. A good introduction to both saber-toothed cats and paleontology.
-Kirkus ReviewsSarah L. Thomson is a former children's book editor who is now a full-time children's book writer. She has written more than thirty books across many genres, including Ancient Animals: Terror Bird, the first book in this series. She lives in Portland, Maine.In California sixteen thousand years ago, a saber-toothed cat hid under a bush. It waited for prey. The cat did not move. Marks on its fur helped it hide in the shadows of leaves.