26 Incredible Animals With Big Teeth (With Pictures)

Ever wondered which animals have big teeth? Or wondering how to know them? 

If so, You are in the right place to look at Animals with Big teeth. Not only elephants but many across the world have Big Teeth, those can be Fishes, Snakes, Mammals, and so on.

In this article, Let’s look at some Animals with Big Teeth as well as their extraordinary teeth with pictures.

Sea Animals With Big Teeth

Walrus

The walrus, including Atlantic walruses, Pacific walruses, and Laptev walruses, are really big sea creatures that are found in the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.

Both male and female walruses have about 18 teeth, among them 2 teeth are modified into tusks that are about 1 m in length. These tusks can be used for walking and climbing by penetrating them into icebergs, to participate in rivalry to gain female mates. Male walruses have longer tusks than female walrus. These long teeth are necessary to express social status, sex, and dominance among them.

Its tusk keeps on growing continuously and can be an indicator of walrus age as it contains rings in its teeth that are visible in cross section.

Saltwater Crocodile

The saltwater crocodile, also known as the estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, is the largest reptile in the world that is currently living and is found in Southeast Asia, the Sundaic region, and Australia.

These monsters have about 66 teeth, distributed both upper and lower jaws, and are ‘V’ shaped as they are sharp and have pointed ends, that ensures the prey can’t be escaped from them. Interestingly, they will grow new teeth throughout their lifetime, Thus they can replace about 3,000 teeth in their lifetime.

Crocodiles have long sharp teeth that are easily visible even when their mouth is closed. Interestingly, the average number of teeth in crocodiles is less than the alligators.

Alligator

The alligator, including the American alligator, Chinese alligators, is a large carnivorous reptile belonging to the order Crocodylia and is found in Texas, Oklahoma, Carolina, Florida, United States, and eastern China.

Alligators have about 66 ‘U’ shaped large teeth that are located in both upper and lower jaws. Interestingly, Its upper jaw teeth are easily visible when its mouth is closed due to its bigger upper jaws with a rounded snout fitted in a relatively smaller lower jaw. Depending on the species of an alligator its number of teeth varies between 74-80. 

Alligators have more average teeth than crocodiles.

Narwhal

The narwhal, also known as narwhale, the Unicorn of the Ocean, is a species of toothed whale belonging to the family Monodontidae found in Arctic waters, Greenland, Canada, Norway, and Russia. 

These are the unique sea animals and whales that have a long canine that is modified into a strange, long sword-like tooth called tusk that can grow about 9 feet in length and is covered with a substance called cementum. Commonly tusks are sometimes surrounded by vestigial teeth.

Usually Male narwhals have only one tusk, On rare occasions male can grow two tusks. whereas female narwhals don’t have tusks. However, few females may develop tusks.

Sperm Whale

The sperm whale, also known as cachalot, is the largest creature of the ocean belonging to the toothed whales and is found in deep oceans, equator to the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

These ocean giants have about 40-52 teeth in their lower jaw that is cone-shaped, 10-20 cm in length, and can weigh about 0.5-1 Kg, that’s really massive, but these teeth are known to have less function as they are usually feeding on squids and other aquatic animals. However, studies suggest these teeth are useful in expressing aggression against other competing sperm whales. There are some rudimentary teeth also present in the upper jaw.

The age of Sperm whales can be calculated through their teeth as they have layers of the ring due to the deposition of cementum and dentine in them.

Great White Sharks

The great white shark, also known as the white shark, white pointer, simply great white, is a marine animal related to the mackerel shark and is found in oceans of the United States, Chile,  New Zealand, Southern Africa, Japan, southern Australia.

Great white sharks have serrated bladelike teeth in both the upper jaw and lower jaw that are triangular in shape and can grow about 6 inches in length. The front row of teeth has prominent teeth that actually aid in capturing and killing them. The second row of teeth moves towards the front row to replace any lost teeth in the front rows.

Sloane’s Viperfish

Sloane’s viperfish is a carnivorous fish with photophores to attract prey found in deep-sea waters across the world.

These fearsome-looking creatures have fang-like teeth that are so long such that they can’t close their mouth completely. If closed then these teeth reside very close to their eyes. Its premaxillary straight tooth can be used to hurt the larger prey, Whereas the second premaxillary curved tooth can be used as a dagger. Thus all these teeth combine to make a cage to trap prey.

Some of its longest teeth can be half the size of its head.

Seals

The seals, including harbor seals, leopard seals, and others, are carnivorous animals found in Canadian Arctic to the Mid-Atlantic.

Seals have about 34-36 teeth. Among these, those present at the front are sharp and pointed and can be used for grasping and tearing but not chewing their prey. while it has few molars that are cone-shaped without carnassials and can aid in crushing shells of molluscs, crustaceans, and other shelled animals.

Water Animals With Big Teeth

Sheepshead

Sheepshead is edible fish and is famous for its human-like teeth which belong to the family Sparidae and are found in the North American marine, Massachusetts, Florida, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and North American coast.

These interesting and strange fishes have 32 teeth that are relatively large in size mainly adapted to crushing hard foods such as nuts, shelled animals, barnacles, clams, crabs, crustaceans, and oysters.

It has different shapes of teeth, At front incisors or biting teeth, and at the back of its mouth, they have molars. 

Giant Tigerfish

Giant tigerfish, also known as the Hydrocynus goliath, the goliath tigerfish, is a very large carnivorous fish that live in freshwater belonging to the family Alestidae and are found in  Congo River Basin and Lake Tanganyika in Africa.

These sharp-toothed creatures earned the name “greatest freshwater gamefish in the world” as they are known to attack people with their 32 razor-like teeth that are about 1 inch long and are located at the edge of their jaw where they are fitted into the groove.

Its teeth are its weapon as they can slice the predators into pieces easily with precision.

Fangtooth Fish

Fangtooth is a carnivorous fish that belongs to the Anoplogastridae family and lives in deep-sea regions called “the twilight zone”.

These have teeth that are relatively larger in proportion to their body size such that it has pouches on its roof to avoid piercing its brain by its own teeth upon closing its mouth.

Through its long teeth, it can prey on fishes that are larger than itself such as fishes, squids, and other aquatic animals.

Gavial

The gharial is also known as the gavial, is a fish-eating crocodile that belongs to the Gavialidae family and is found in northern India and Nepal.

It has a long and narrow snout with about 60 teeth, distributed both in the upper and lower jaw. Among them, front teeth are relatively larger when compared to the rest of them and are positioned such that they can fit in spaces of the opposite jaw. It is adapted to catch fish as its snout is long and narrower and equipped with many teeth to snap its prey.

Adult gavial has a longer snout that is about 3.5 times the width of the skull base.

Land Animals With Big Teeth 

Elephants

Elephants including the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant are the largest currently living land mammals on earth and belong to the Elephantidae family and are found in Africa, Asia, and in zoos of many countries.

These giant animals have about 26 teeth. Among them, 2 incisors are modified into tusk, 12 are premolars, and 12 are molars. In its lifetime they undergo through 6 sets of molar teeth (Humans undergo through only 2 sets of tree in their lifetime), First set fall at when they are 2-3 years old, second set about 5-6 years old, the third set about 10-15 years old, the fourth set about 20-26 years old, the fifth set about 40 years, and the sixth set is the final set of teeth that remain the rest of its life.

An elephant’s lost teeth are replaced by new teeth that are larger than the previous teeth ones.

Mandrill

The mandrill is the largest monkey in the world which belongs to the old-world monkey and is found in Cameroon, Guinea, and Congo. 

Mandrills have long and shaper teeth that are canine type about 5 -6 cm in length used to defend and offense, along with other common teeth in their mouth. Its teeth are heterodont type, that is they have different shapes of teeth for different needs.

Gorilla

Gorilla is a ground-dwelling largest primate that belongs to the great apes and is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Gorillas have 32 teeth that are stronger enough to withstand their coarse vegetation diet. Among them, 8 incisors, 4 canine, 8 premolars, and 12 molars. Its two canine teeth from the upper jaw are about 2 inches long that they usually use to defend other males and to show dominance, longer the canine teeth the more the dominance it shows.

Hippo

The hippopotamus is also called simply hippo, river hippopotamus, is a large herbivorous mammal adapted to both land and aquatic habitats found mainly in Africa.

These big animals have about 38-44 teeth that are distributed in both the upper and lower jaw. Among them, two long incisors from the upper jaw and two canines from the lower jaw are modified into tusks. 

Its longer tusks are used as a weapon against crocodiles, other predators. Interestingly, these are herbivores but can attack other animals including man if they felt threatened.

Lion

The lion. also fondly called as King of the jungle, or the King of forests is a large diurnal carnivorous mammal native to Africa and nowadays present in many countries and in zoos.

Lions have about 30 teeth. Among them, Incisors are the small teeth located at the front of its mouth, Canines are four long teeth about 7 cm in length that are distributed into two in each jaw.

For cats including lions, the larger the canine teeth the bigger the effect it can bring on its prey.

Megalodon

Megalodon is an extinct sea animal where it literally means ‘giant tooth’ and is the largest fish that ever existed on earth.

This giant dish has about 276 serrated teeth that can easily deliver a bite force of about 108,000 newton, Whereas a human bite can only deliver a force of 1,300 newtons.

The largest extant megalodon tooth is about 18 cm in length.

Baboon

Baboons including hamadryas baboon, the Guinea baboon, olive baboon, yellow baboon, and chacma baboon, is an omnivorous primate belonging to the Old World monkeys found in Africa and Arabian Peninsula.

It has about 32 teeth. Among these, there are long and sharp canines that can reach up to 2 inches in length and used to display when they felt threatened by other baboons and animals.

Saber Tooth Tiger

A saber tooth tiger is an extinct mammal which is also known as the saber-toothed cat that existed millions of years ago.

These animals are well known for their long and unique canines that can grow up to 8-11 inches in length. It has a massive and powerful jaw that can open up to 120 degrees that along its long teeth can deliver a force of 1000 newton on its prey.

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus rex simply called T. rex, T-Rex, is a famous bipedal carnivore that existed millions of years ago around western North America.

These animals have records as they possess about 50 conical and serrated teeth and also have the longest teeth about 12 inches long. Unbelievably, Their massive jaws and powerful teeth are capable of crushing a car.

Jaguar

Jaguar is the third-largest cat in the world belonging to the genus Panthera and is found in South America, Central America, from Mexico to northern Argentina.

They have about 30 teeth. Among them, its canines are longer and can deliver a more powerful bite to its prey than any other big cat. Thus they can pierce through the carapaces of turtles, tortoises, and skulls of mammals. These have heterodonts as there are different shapes of teeth present and can perform different purposes.

Camel

A camel is a herbivorous mammal with humps present on its back belonging to the genus Camelus that inhabited deserts and is found in Africa, Australia, China, and Mongolia.

These animals develop about 22 teeth called milk teeth after birth. Later, upon reaching maturity they have about 32 teeth called permanent teeth. Among these, there are two canine teeth present in both jaws that are meant for crushing edible wood and plants.

Warthog 

A warthog is a land mammal and is a member of the family Suidae to which domestic pigs also belong and is found in sub-Saharan Africa.

These wild animals have about 34 teeth, among these, four long canines are modified into tusks that they used to fight against their predators and other males to gain female mates. Its tusk curved upwards in direction.

Polar bears

A polar bear is a large carnivorous bear that inhabits the cold climate, Arctic Ocean and is found in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland and other parts of the world.

These giants have about 42 teeth, which include incisors to cut through the flesh, long canines teeth to grasp, premolars, and molars used for tearing and chewing respectively.

Gaboon viper

A Gaboon viper, also known as  Gaboon adder, butterfly adder, forest puff adder, and swampjack, is a viper and venomous species of snakes found in the regions of Africa.

This venomous snake has long teeth called fangs about 2.2 inches in length and is the only snake with the longest fangs among the many species of venomous snakes in the world.

Also Read : Animals With Human Teeth 

Sources:

https://mcneelyfamilydentistry.com/largest-teeth-world

https://www.themoosedentist.com/animals-with-the-longest-teeth