The exact lifespan of saber-toothed tigers is unknown because no living specimens exist. Based on comparisons with modern big cats and fossil evidence, scientists estimate that Smilodon, the best-known genus, lived between 10 and 15 years in the wild.
Survival and longevity were influenced by predation, competition for food, disease, and injuries. Saber-toothed cats existed from the Late Miocene to the late Pleistocene, roughly 11.2 million years ago until about 10,000 years ago.