Sabre-toothed cats, such as *S. fatalis*, were smaller than modern lions but twice as heavy, making them formidable predators. They likely depended on ambush tactics, leaping on the backs of lumbering prey animals such as young mastodons. The development of their namesake upper canines allowed them to kill large prey rapidly by cutting their throats and causing massive blood loss and a quick death.
These powerful predators were adapted to hunting large, slow-moving prey. Their massive jaws and long, curved upper canines were perfect for delivering a deadly bite to the neck or throat of their victims. This hunting strategy was crucial for taking down the large, thick-skinned herbivores that were their primary prey.