Animal teeth. Features of teeth in animals Which animal can have longer teeth?

1. Chinchillas

2. Three-toed sloth

3. Gerbil

4. Wombats

6. Shrew Rat

7. Indian pangolin

8. Turtles

9. Baleen whales

10. Anteaters

Almost all living things on the planet need teeth, with which they obtain and chew food. However, many animals can easily do without teeth or use only a small number of them. At the same time, they can live a completely full life, and some of them have existed in this “state” for many millions of years.

We present to your attention a selection of animals that have the fewest teeth or none at all.

1. Chinchillas

Chinchillas (lat. Chinchilla) are small rodents and at the same time they get by with only 20 teeth. But at the same time they do an excellent job with food. These small animals have a very narrow oral cavity, containing 16 molars and 2 incisors. The chinchilla is a small creature, and its lifespan is about 20 years.

2. Three-toed sloth

The three-toed sloth (lat. Bradypodidae) has even fewer teeth - 18 and they are brown in color, devoid of enamel and roots. In addition, they lack fangs and incisors. The molars - one on each side of the upper and lower jaw - are elongated and have a fang-like appearance, separated from the other teeth by a diastema (a special space between the teeth). The small number of teeth sloths have is compensated by hard lips.

3. Gerbil

The gerbil (lat. Gerbillinae) is a small rodent, the only representative of the genus. Externally, the gerbil looks like an ordinary mouse. These rodents have only 16 teeth; the front teeth are constantly growing, as they tend to wear down. Molars may or may not have roots (every animal is different).

4. Wombats

Wombats (lat. Vombatidae) are a mammal from the family of two-incisor marsupials. The structure of the wombat's jaws and teeth are somewhat similar to rodents. These cute and compact animals have the smallest number of teeth among marsupials - only 12.

5. Golden-bellied or beaver rat

Golden-bellied, or beaver rat (lat. Hydromys chrysogaster) - it, like the wombat, has only 12 teeth. In addition to the incisors, her jaw contains molars, and behind the large molar there is a smaller tooth. The third tooth is missing because the 1st and 2nd molars prevent it from developing.

6. Shrew Rat

The shrew rat (Paucidentomys vermidax) is a small rodent (about the size of a rat) discovered by researchers in Indonesia. This rat surprised biologists with its small number of teeth, which is why it was classified as a new genus of “small-toothed mice.” She has only four modified incisors; the rest of her teeth are simply missing. Such a small number of teeth and the structure of the jaw was due to the monotonous diet of these rodents - they eat only worms and slugs, and can consume fruit pulp.

7. Indian pangolin

Indian pangolins (lat. Manis crassicaudata) are a mammal belonging to the order of pangolins. These lizards feed on termites, ants and their eggs, which is why they lack teeth (as they are unnecessary). But they have a tongue - 23-25 ​​cm in length. It is with this tongue that the lizard captures and pushes food into the throat. The length of its tongue is almost half the length of its body.

8. Turtles

Sea and land turtles are devoid of any teeth, they are replaced by horny plates similar to a beak. With this “beak” they can easily bite a stick with a diameter of up to 2-3 centimeters or a person’s finger. Interestingly, millions of years ago there lived turtles that had teeth in their mouths.

9. Baleen whales

Baleen or toothless whales (lat. Mysticeti) - the name speaks for itself - it indicates the complete absence of teeth. Instead of teeth, in the mouth of this mammal there is a whalebone - horny plates that are located in rows on the palate and on the upper jaw. These plates are of different lengths, depending on their location in the oral cavity. With the help of these plates, the whale filters the water, leaving behind various crustaceans, plankton and small fish.

10. Anteaters

Anteaters also lack teeth. In their elongated and narrow mouth, only a long and sticky tongue fits - a “tool” with the help of which the anteater obtains food for itself - ants and termites - its favorite delicacy.

What do you know about animal teeth?

Thanks to the presence of teeth, animals obtain food for themselves, protect themselves from enemies and fight rivals. In some cases, due to their size, individuals take their positions in packs and become leaders. In some animals, the teeth grow so large that they are later called tusks. In this article we will find out who has the largest teeth in the world.

Narwhal

The marine inhabitant of the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic is the owner of a long tusk. At first glance, you can decide that this is not a tusk but a horn, and it is for this reason that it is often called a sea unicorn. Narwhals are quite large marine animals and can reach 4 meters in length. The weight of the male reaches up to 1.5 tons, and the female – 900 kg. At birth, narwhals are small - only 1.5-2 meters.

The narwhal has only 2 teeth, but only one, the left one, develops and reaches large sizes. It grows in a spiral shape and can reach incredible sizes - up to 3 meters in length and weighing up to 10 kg. Females do not have such pride; only in rare cases do they grow a tusk. The chance of meeting such a female is 1 in 500.

Narwhal tusks are quite flexible and can bend 30-35cm in any direction. Once it reaches a certain size, it stops growing, and if damaged, the animal loses its source of pride once and for all. If an animal’s tooth is broken off at the very base, the dental canal becomes overgrown and a so-called “bone filling” is formed.

During mating games, narwhals rub their tusks against each other.

For scientists, narwhals and their long tusks are still a bit of a mystery. They cannot clearly state for what purposes the animal uses its “horn”. It is definitely not a means of breaking through ice or attacking, but the fact that the tusk has a lot of nerve endings leads scientists to believe that it is used in mating games. Also, thanks to this, the animal can sense fluctuations in water temperature and pressure.

Among land animals, Indian elephants take the lead. This animal grows 2 tusks at once. Like narwhals, among elephants only males grow tusks; females do not, with rare exceptions. The size of elephant tusks is quite impressive: their average length is 1.6 meters, and their weight is up to 25 kg. But sometimes there are record holders among elephants. For example, a case was recorded when a tusk reached a size of 4 meters and a weight of almost 150 kg.

Elephants' tusks are not just decoration; they skillfully use them when necessary. The elephant, like a person, is left- or right-handed and uses either the right or left tusk more often. This can be determined as the bone wears and the end becomes more rounded.

Elephant tusks grow an average of 17 cm per year

To grind food, the elephant also has 4 molars, which are replaced by new ones as they wear out. On average, this happens 6 times over the course of a long life. New teeth begin to grow behind existing ones and thereby move them forward, ultimately replacing worn-out ones. By the age of 40, this happens for the last time, and by the age of 70, the elephant is left without molars, which leads to exhaustion and death of the animal.

Walruses live in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and are in third place on our list. The pinniped mammal has huge fangs, which can reach 1 meter in length and weigh up to five and a half kilograms. Long teeth are a characteristic feature of this animal and are present in both males and females. The former have slightly larger fangs as they are used in fights between individuals. Every male strives to get the best place and the best female. Consequently, the thicker and longer the fangs, the greater the chance of taking a dominant position in the herd.

Walruses are dangerous opponents: they can capsize a boat and break it with their tusks

Walrus tusks serve not only to define hierarchical relationships and demonstrate threat. Mammals use them to easily break through ice, make holes in it, and also crawl out onto a slippery surface.

Walrus tusks are strong and beautiful, so they often become targets for poachers, which in turn greatly reduces the population of the pinniped mammal.

Externally, musk deer are very similar to deer, but unlike them they do not have antlers and have long fangs. With an average size of an animal weighing 11-18 kg and a height of up to 70-80 cm, they grow fangs 7-9 cm long. Like many representatives of the animal world, males are larger than females. They use their fangs for tournament battles in the fight for place and possession of the female. During a duel, male musk deer often fight to the death. During pursuit, they try to strike the spine with their front legs and stick their sharp fangs. Long fights end with one of the opponents being knocked to the ground and killed by blows from hooves and fangs. Also, long teeth allow you to get food from hard-to-reach places.

Musk deer often live alone or form a herd of no more than three heads

The largest teeth in the usual sense of the word belong to long-extinct dinosaurs. Once upon a time these giants inhabited our planet.

Some representatives were of impressive size, which is confirmed by the elements found by archaeologists during excavations.

For example, a Tyronosaurus tooth was found in South Dakota. Its size amazes not only people, but also scientists. The length of the tooth from root to end is 33 cm. Officially, this is the largest tooth of extinct creatures that inhabited our planet, found by scientists.

Another unique discovery occurred in Portugal. A dinosaur tooth measuring 12.7 cm was found, which once again confirmed that our planet was once inhabited by huge predatory lizards. And these are not isolated cases; a tooth measuring 10 cm was also found in Spain.

According to scientists, the owner of this tooth - an allosaurus - was of average size among its relatives, and this means that the found tooth is far from the largest, and scientists still have many more discoveries in this area.

The sharp and strong teeth of dinosaurs easily broke bones and tore flesh.

Among the inhabitants of the ocean, one can also give an example of a creature with the largest teeth that once lived on our planet - the megalodon shark. Its size is amazing and terrifying. It reached approximately 20 meters in length and weighed about 50 tons. According to scientists, the jaw span of the average representative of the sea monster is 2 meters. The megalodon's diet included dolphins, sperm whales, giant turtles and other inhabitants of the sea. In fact, it was one of the strongest marine predators that ever lived on the planet, and the fact that they could not adapt to changing climatic conditions is a big plus for the inhabitants of the seas and oceans.

Megalodon teeth are very similar to the teeth of a white shark, but much larger and stronger. The average size of a megalodon tooth is 18-20 cm on the diagonal side.

Megalodon's bite force is 10 times greater than that of a white shark

Human

Among people, it is difficult to find the owner of the largest teeth. In the human race, over a long period of time, teeth grow to a standard size and reach approximately 1 cm in length. But in the modern world, there are representatives who want to stand out from the crowd and artificially increase their teeth, mainly the upper and lower canines. Some use cat fangs as an example, some want to look like vampires or orcs from popular films. Nevertheless, the spectacle is truly impressive, but not always pleasant.

A person can completely change the structure of his jaw through surgery.

Possessing large teeth in the animal world often makes it possible to increase hierarchical status or obtain food; individuals also use them to protect themselves from attacks by enemies. But their size does not always help their owners survive. An example of this is the already extinct dinosaurs and the megalodon shark.

Almost all living things need teeth, with which they obtain and chew food. However, many animals can easily do without teeth or use only a small number of them. At the same time, they can live a completely full life, and some of them have existed in this “state” for many millions of years.

Scientists have repeatedly discovered unique animals that we are accustomed to consider as toothy creatures, but as it turned out, the main feature of the structure of their jaw was the almost complete absence of teeth, which greatly distinguishes them from all other relatives. Do they really not need teeth at all? Or maybe they have something that completely replaces them?

Chinchillas

(lat. Chinchilla) are small rodents and at the same time they get by with only 20 teeth. But at the same time they do an excellent job with food. These small animals have a very narrow oral cavity, containing 16 molars and 2 incisors. The chinchilla is a small creature and has a lifespan of about 20 years.

Three-toed sloth

Three-toed sloth (lat. Bradypodidae) has even fewer teeth - 18 and they are brown in color, devoid of enamel and roots. In addition, they lack fangs and incisors. The molars - one on each side of the upper and lower jaw - are elongated and have a fang-like appearance, separated from the other teeth by a diastema (a special space between the teeth). The small number of teeth is compensated by hard lips.

Gerbil

Gerbil (lat. Gerbillinae) is a small rodent, the only representative of the genus. Externally, the gerbil looks like an ordinary mouse. These rodents have only 16 teeth; the front teeth are constantly growing, as they tend to wear down. Molars may or may not have roots (every animal is different).

Wombats

(lat. Vombatidae) is a mammal from the family of two-incisor marsupials. The structure of the wombat's jaws and teeth are somewhat similar to rodents. These cute and compact animals have the smallest number of teeth among marsupials - only 12.

Golden-bellied or beaver rat

Golden-bellied, or beaver rat (lat. Hydromys chrysogaster) - she, like the wombat, has only 12 teeth. In addition to the incisors, her jaw contains molars, and behind the large molar there is a smaller tooth. The third tooth is missing because the 1st and 2nd molars prevent it from developing.

Shrew rat

Shrew rat (lat. Paucidentomys vermidax) is a small rodent (about the size of a rat) in Indonesia. This rat surprised biologists with its small number of teeth, which is why it was classified as a new genus of “small-toothed mice.” She has only four modified incisors; the rest of her teeth are simply missing. Such a small number of teeth and the structure of the jaw was due to the monotonous diet of these rodents - they eat only worms and slugs, and can consume fruit pulp.

Indian pangolin

Indian lizards (lat. Manis crassicaudata) is a mammal belonging to the order . These lizards feed on termites, ants and their eggs, which is why they lack teeth (as they are unnecessary). But they have a tongue - 23-25 ​​cm in length. It is with this tongue that the lizard captures and pushes food into the throat. The length of its tongue is almost half the length of its body.

Turtles

Sea and land turtles are devoid of any teeth, they are replaced by horny plates similar to a beak. With this “beak” they can easily bite a stick with a diameter of up to 2-3 centimeters or a person’s finger. Interestingly, millions of years ago there lived turtles that had teeth in their mouths.

Baleen whales

Baleen or toothless whales (lat. Mysticeti) - the name speaks for itself - it indicates the complete absence of teeth. Instead of teeth, in the mouth of this mammal there is a whalebone - horny plates that are located in rows on the palate and on the upper jaw. These plates are of different lengths, depending on their location in the oral cavity. With the help of these plates, the whale filters the water, leaving behind various crustaceans, plankton and small fish.

Anteaters also lack teeth. In their elongated and narrow mouth, only a long and sticky tongue fits - a “tool” with the help of which it obtains food for itself - ants and termites - its favorite delicacy.

As you already understand, the structure and number of teeth indicate what the animals eat. If living creatures have no teeth or their number is small, this means that they are not necessary or they have other ways of consuming food.

Saber-toothed tigers will never cease to capture our imagination. They are an (albeit extinct) example of how scary teeth can be, but as we'll learn later, the dangers of extreme teeth are by no means a relic of the past. In this list we will look at the most dangerous, strange and shocking teeth that everyone who sees them will want to avoid encountering:

10. Babirussa

There are animals that are so strange and scary that we begin to wonder how evolution managed to create such creatures. Four species of babirussa have extremely strange weapons with which they carry out acts of aggression.

Endemic to Indonesia, these "Deer Pig" not only have massive lower canines that are curled back like fangs on the upper jaw, but also upper canines that are also curved in the opposite direction, paired with the lower canines, and point up and back towards the upper jaw. head Males cut each other with their fangs during territorial disputes during mating season. The upward orientation of the fangs allows them to be effective in combat, but if the babirussa fails to saw them off, they can grow into the animal's skull with fatal results.

9. Saber-Toothed Deer


Yes, you heard right - a saber-toothed deer. The thought of such a creature seems so strange and scary that one may be tempted to dismiss it as fantasy. In fact, several species of ungulates known as "musk deer" and found in Eurasia have massive canine teeth that develop from canine outgrowths.

Musk deer canines extend several centimeters beyond their lower jaw. Unlike the infamous cats of the distant past, musk deer go into battle against other males with their sabers, thrusting them into each other during mating season. These creatures are genetically distinct from true deer (caribou) and were named because of the strong scent they use to mark their territory.

8. Mackerel hydrolic (Payara)


Back in the days when the saber-toothed tiger roamed the earth, the terrible mackerel-shaped hydrolyx developed exactly the same weapon, only curved in the opposite direction, for its dominance in the rivers. Measuring more than 1.2 meters in length, the mackerel-shaped gidroli prowls the waters of the Amazon, sinking its 7-10 centimeter fangs into the vital organs of its prey.

At the moment when the wounded prey begins to sink, the deep jaws of the mackerel-shaped hydrolic swallow it. Unlike most saber-toothed animals, the mackerel's fangs remain entirely in its mouth, hiding in two holes in the upper jaw. The terrifying appearance and potential bite of the Characin Vampire Characin makes even the most experienced fisherman shiver.

7. Greater Merganser (Goosander) (Toothed Duck)


At first glance, the merganser looks like a typical representative of waterfowl, but when feeding ducks on a pond, it is better not to extend your hand to a representative of this unusual species. The largest member of the merganser genus lives in rivers, estuaries, lakes and parks throughout Eurasia, Canada and the United States.

Protruding from its beak are over one hundred and fifty razor-sharp, backward-curved teeth that can cut into the fish's body like a hot knife through butter. A bird with teeth will always seem like an anomaly, but what's even scarier is that this "devil duck" with dinosaur teeth can easily chew through small mammals and even other birds, as if it were some kind of aquatic predator.

6. Dromedary Camel


The fact that an animal is a herbivore should never lead you to conclude that it poses no danger to you. Some herbivores have particularly strange fangs.

Take, for example, the familiar and seemingly satiated dromedary camel. Although the species has long been used as a beast of burden and feeds on plant matter, these thick lips hide impressive teeth that reach more than 7.5 cm in length. Looking at such massive jaws and sharp teeth, it is easy to understand how sometimes owners find themselves killed in their sleep, due to camel revenge. They can easily chew through a human skull. Fatal bites, such as those recently reported in China, can occur during mating season, when the animals are defensive and territorial.

5. Helicopron (Chainsaw Shark)


This is the only extinct animal on this list. Helicoprion was a 6-meter-long shark that used its huge teeth like no other animal on earth. The shark's teeth, attached to the circular muscle of the oral apparatus, were thrown forward and cut the victim into small pieces, like a chainsaw.
This shark's strange dental structure was misunderstood by scientists for years before the strange and frightening truth was finally discovered. The 5cm-long teeth were tightly arranged in a downward spiral, ensuring that prey was torn to pieces at high speed.

4. Narwhal


Scientists and researchers assigned the “unicorn of the seas” a mythical status, but that was until the moment when the strange creature was discovered in reality and properly documented.

In a bizarre twist of physiology, this relatively small, 4-meter-long whale has grown a deadly "spear" on top of its head, which it uses in territorial conflicts and for self-defense. It is sometimes used to break ice in the whale's Arctic habitat.

Deviating from the norm of symmetry in the animal kingdom, the narwhal's enormous weapon is actually a modification of the right canine, which grows at an angle forward and extends across the animal's forehead. There are no other teeth in the jaws of narwhals of a strange shape, but in some cases, a second “tusk”, sometimes equal in length to the first, can grow from the left recess for the fang.

3. Baboon


Baboons are among the largest apes on Earth, weighing over 36 kilograms. Although their size is about half the size of most adults, the canines of the average adult baboon are often 5 centimeters long, which is even longer than the length of the canines of most adult lions. Although these simian sabers appear capable of killing even the most fearsome prey, they are more often used in fights between rival males during the mating season, leading to the conclusion that it was sexual selection that led to the development of such huge fangs. But this is unlikely to help those who wander into the territory of baboons during the mating season.

2. Hippopotamus


The hippopotamus can reach more than five meters in length and weigh an incredible 4,000 kilograms, making it the third most massive land animal. The hippopotamus also has the largest tusks of any land animal. Its two sword-like fangs reach a whopping 40 centimeters in length.

Essentially, we're dealing with a truck-sized river monster that can chew through two people in one bite with its teeth. And we grew up thinking that crocodiles were our greatest enemies on the Nile... In one famous case, a guide was partially swallowed by a hippopotamus and his arm was lost forever. And in addition to the above, it is worth noting a fascinating fact: genetic studies have shown that these saber-toothed creatures are relatives of whales, and not pigs, as previously thought.

1. Titan Triggerfish


With a name like that, anything is possible - this is one fish you definitely don't want to meet while scuba diving. Reaching just over 60 centimeters in length, these tropical reef dwellers live in shallow waters. They are known for fiercely defending their territory against intruders, including explorers. Designed to shred rock-hard coral, the bluefin ballistode's teeth are amazingly sharp and strong, and incredibly human-like.
The bluefin ballistode's teeth are unusual in that they are straight but very thin. This makes them especially sharp, however, they are also very strong and resistant to damage.