Sink Your Teeth Into This: Analyzing the Powerful Lion Bite Force - Tiger Tribe (2024)

Lion Bite Force: A Measure of the King’s Power. The lion, often referred to as the ‘King of the Jungle,’ is revered for its raw strength and formidable presence.

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The lion is revered as the king of the jungle, in part due to its incredible strength and predatory power. One of the lion’s most formidable weapons is its bite force – the amount of power it can exert through its jaws. Just how mighty is the lion bite compared to other animals’ gnashing abilities?

Read on for a comprehensive examination of the lion’s bite force and how it stacks up against 10 other creatures.

Sink Your Teeth Into This: Analyzing the Powerful Lion Bite Force - Tiger Tribe (1)

Anatomy of the Lion Bite

Before cross-comparing with other animals, let’s first understand the mechanics behind the lion bite itself. Here are key factors contributing to the lion’s bone-crushing bite force:

Strong jaw muscles

The lion has extremely powerful temporalis and masseter muscles lining each side of its jaws. These muscles connect the skull to the mandible and allow the jaw to clamp shut with tremendous force.

The temporalis muscles near the temples assist with rapidly closing the jaws, while the broad masseter muscles at the cheeks provide overall strength. These muscles have evolved to be larger and stronger in lions to enable their powerful bite.

Large canine teeth

An adult male lion possesses enormous canine teeth measuring approximately 2.5-3 inches in length. These long, pointed teeth are perfect for stabbing and grasping prey.

The canines can pierce even the thick hides and skins of large animals to inflict devastating puncture wounds. Lion canines are also ideally shaped for clamping down on bones and breaking them with their incredible bite force.

Reduced molars

Unlike humans which have 12 molars, lions only have 3 molars in the back of each side of the jaw. This reduction in molars enables the lion to open its jaws very wide, allowing it to fully utilize its long canine teeth when biting.

The lack of molars also prevents obstruction when clamping down with its canines. The open gape afforded by having fewer molars makes the lion bite more efficient.

Scissor-like carnassials

The carnassials are the teeth in the back of the mouth behind the canines. In lions, these carnassials are shaped like scissors or blades and designed for shearing and slicing flesh and sinew.

When the lion bites down, the carnassials act like a knife to cut meat cleanly off prey. This allows the lion to rapidly shear off chunks of flesh when feeding.

Heavy head

Male lions possess a large, heavy skull and jaw that further adds power to their bite. A male African lion’s head can weigh over 20 pounds alone.

Combined with strong neck muscles, the heavy head provides the weight and driving force to make lion bites incredibly powerful. This functions similar to a sledgehammer, with the mass of the head concentrating the energy into each smash.

Hunting adaptation

Over the eons, evolution gradually selected the lions with the strongest bite force. This allowed them to more successfully hunt and kill the largest and most dangerous herbivores in Africa.

Lions able to exert more PSI in their bites could crush bones and swiftly dispatch their prey. They were more likely to survive and pass on the genes for stronger jaw muscles and wider gape. This drove lions over time to develop today’s incredible bite strength.

Territorial fights

The bite force of male lions also gives them an advantage when defending prides and territories. More powerful bites inflict greater pain and damage on opponents.

Male lions bite force often determines which animal wins in fights over territory and breeding rights. Lions with the mightiest bites were able to win these encounters, further propagating the genes for maximum PSI.

Scientists quantify animal bite forces in pounds per square inch (PSI). Measuring lion bite PSI provides insight into exactly how powerful their jaws are.

Lion Bite Force Comparison

Sink Your Teeth Into This: Analyzing the Powerful Lion Bite Force - Tiger Tribe (2)

Now that we understand the mechanics behind it, let’s see how the lion bite force compares to other animals’ bites. Here’s a ranking from weakest to strongest:

Human – 120-150 PSI

The average human registers between 120-150 PSI in bite force. While strong for chewing, human bites rarely break skin due to our flat teeth. Our bite is sufficient for eating but not combat or hunting.

Domestic Dog – 150-250 PSI

Man’s best friend out-bites humans, but not by much. Dogs exhibit a 150-250 PSI bite force depending on size. Small dogs like chihuahuas bite near the low end, while big dogs like mastiffs bite harder. Wolves tip the scales around 400 PSI.

Coyote – 250 PSI

Though not as substantial as their larger canid cousin the wolf, coyotes still bite with considerable force at 250 PSI. They are well equipped for hunting small game and defending their territory.

Hyena – 800-1200 PSI

Known for their crushing jaws, hyenas bite down with 800-1200 PSI – enough to completely destroy bone. Their powerful jaws are vital for dismantling carcasses on the African plains.

Black Bear – 850 PSI

Despite their largely vegetarian diet, black bears have formidable biting abilities, exerting 850 pounds of pressure per square inch. They typically avoid biting unless defending cubs or food.

Grizzly Bear – 850-1250 PSI

Similar in bite force to black bears, grizzlies also bite with 850-1250 PSI of force. Their huge four inch canines can measure over 2.5 inches long, causing deep wounds.

Tiger – 1050 PSI

Tigers have the strongest bite force of any big cat. Large Bengal and Siberian tigers can exert over 1000 PSI through their 3.9 inch canines. This aids taking down prey twice their size.

Gorilla – 1300 PSI

Though herbivores, gorillas have extremely strong bites nearing 1300 PSI – almost twice that of a lion. Their jaw anatomy is optimized for chewing tough vegetation throughout the day.

Hippopotamus – 1825 PSI

Hippos may seem docile, but they have staggering biting power of over 1800 PSI – enough to cleave a crocodile in two! Their huge canines and rear jaw placement allows this intense force.

The Alligator Bite Force

While not included in the original animal comparisons, the alligator actually has one of the most powerful bite forces in the animal kingdom.

Alligators use their immensely strong bite like the lion – for hunting, subduing prey, and territorial disputes. An adult alligator’s bite force measures over 2,000 PSI, nearly triple that of a lion!

Their massive jaws, large teeth, and strong jaw muscles allow them to clamp down with incredible force. Alligators have evolved to deliver enough bite power to pierce turtle shells and puncture vital organs of large prey in an instant.

This incredible bite force comes from large depressor muscles that open the jaw, and larger temporalis muscles that snap the jaws shut. The muscles have incredible leverage thanks to the shape of the alligator’s skull and jaw bones.

Sink Your Teeth Into This: Analyzing the Powerful Lion Bite Force - Tiger Tribe (3)

Lion – 650 PSI

Finally, the king himself. Lions routinely bite down with 650 PSI of force, allowing them to effectively crush bones and kill large prey. The lion may not top the scale, but he holds his own with a ferocious bite.

Analysis and Implications

Now that we’ve ranked bite forces from weakest to strongest, what can we deduce from the numbers?

Though the lion’s 650 PSI pales in comparison to beasts like hippos and gorillas, it far exceeds the bite force requirements for hunting and territorial defense. lions are able to subdue the largest and most dangerous prey in Africa thanks to their evolutionary adapted bite.

The lion also exceeds all its other big cat relatives in bite force – jaguars, leopards, and tigers. Only the huge hippo outdoes the lion among African megafauna in raw bite power.

Within the feline family, bite force seems to correlate loosely with the animal’s size and diet. Larger big cats at the top of the food chain need stronger bites, evidenced by the lion, tiger, and jaguar all having forceful bites exceeding 600 PSI.

Herbivores like the gorilla have massive biting power not for hunting, but for chewing fibrous vegetation. Omnivores generally have the most moderate biting forces depending on their diet.

Final Bite

In conclusion, the lion has one of the most powerful bites in the animal kingdom thanks to specialized adaptations for hunting and fighting.

While it pales in comparison to specialized herbivores, the lion’s bite force effectively fulfills its predatory niche. The king of beasts certainly earns the right to rule the jungle with his formidable jaws.

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Sink Your Teeth Into This: Analyzing the Powerful Lion Bite Force - Tiger Tribe (4)

Hi, my name is Joe Edwards and I am fascinated by the world of big cats. It all started when my family and I visited a safari park when I was six years old. I begged my parents to get me a stuffed lion as a memento, and later a book about big cats for Christmas.

Now, over 20 years later, I still can’t get enough of them!

Sink Your Teeth Into This: Analyzing the Powerful Lion Bite Force - Tiger Tribe (5)

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Sink Your Teeth Into This: Analyzing the Powerful Lion Bite Force - Tiger Tribe (2024)

FAQs

Who has the stronger bite force, lion or tiger? ›

Through a series of tests, it has been found out that a full grown, healthy lion has a bite force of 600 psi (pounds per square inch) whereas a full grown, healthy tiger has a bite force of 1050 psi. So clearly tigers win with a very wide margin.

Whose teeth are stronger lion or tiger? ›

However, the bite force quotient (bite force relative to size) of a lion (112) is less than that of a tiger (127). This means relative to their body mass, tigers have a stronger bite in comparison to lions. And therefore, if you assume the weight advantage tigers already have, their bite force is likely to be stronger.

Which animal has the strongest bite force in history? ›

  1. Saltwater Crocodile. | Saltwater crocs have the highest bite force ever recorded. ...
  2. Great White Shark. | A breaching great white attacks a seal. ...
  3. Hippopotamus. | Hippos are capable of biting crocodiles in half. ...
  4. Jaguar. | A jaguar feeding on its prey. ...
  5. Gorilla. ...
  6. Polar Bear. ...
  7. Spotted Hyena. ...
  8. Bengal Tiger.

What African animal has the strongest bite force? ›

At 4,000 pounds per square inch, the saltwater crocodile of northern Africa has the strongest bite of any living animal, powerful enough to snag a zebra or antelope by the hoof and drag it kicking and bleating into the water.

Which tiger can beat lion? ›

However, according to studies, the don of the jungle – the tiger – is more likely to win against a lion. Scientists say that in a fight between a Bengal tiger and an African lion, there is a 90 per cent chance that the tiger will win. A tiger is slightly faster than a lion, arguably more ferocious, and more agile.

Which is stronger Siberian tiger or lion? ›

While it would depend on the size, age and aggressiveness of the specific animals involved, generally tigers have a significant advantage. On average tigers are larger, but more importantly they are more capable of fighting standing on their hind legs.

Can a lion beat a gorilla? ›

Ultimately, we believe the odds are in the gorilla's favor. However, alone and at night the lion will have a strong advantage. If the lion can get in close enough and score an accurate bite, he could end the fight before it even begins. However, a gorilla is a mighty foe with more stamina and fearsome strength.

Can a human fight a tiger? ›

Well absolutely less than 5 percent to zero. An average man won't stand a chance when he goes head to head with an adult tiger. These animals are predators and are designed for efficient hunting and killing and they do that almost every week of their lives.

What animal has the strongest bite force in 2024? ›

Orcas Have the Strongest Bite Force

Orcas have a bite force of around 19,000 psi, the strongest in the animal kingdom. To put that into perspective, it can take 2,500 psi to crush a car. Meanwhile, the average bite force of an adult human is around 160 psi.

What is the strongest animal that ever existed? ›

The strongest animal in the world is the African bush elephant, which is capable of lifting 6,000kg, its own body weight from lying down. Even their trunks can lift over 200kg, thanks to over 40,000 muscles. For context, an adult humans have just over 600 muscles in their entire bodies.

What is the bite force of a gorilla? ›

Gorillas are mainly plant-eaters - the only non-carnivore on this list! - yet have an incredibly strong bite force of 1300 PSI. They use their powerful jaws to chew and tear through bark and roots, and their large teeth are also used to display force and aggression.

What is the bite force of a Megalodon? ›

It's believed that the Megalodon had a bite force of around 10.8 to 18.2 metric tons (24,000 to 40,000 pounds). This incredible force is several times stronger than the bite of the largest crocodile and dwarfs the bite force of any shark in today's oceans.

Which extinct animal has the strongest bite force ever? ›

However, the record holders were ancient crocodilians: the bite force of Sarcosuchus was estimated at 215,899 newtons, and Deinosuchus at an incredible 356,401 newtons! This means that a Deinosuchus tooth exerted pressure comparable to a weight of 36 tons per square centimeter.

How strong is a hippo bite? ›

The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious) is said to have the strongest bite of all land animals at about 8,130 Newtons per square inch. They are herbivores, but if disturbed by humans, they can be very dangerous and cause fatal injuries.

Which big cat has the strongest bite force? ›

The Jaguar: The Cat With the Strongest Bite in the World

The bite force of a jaguar is 1,500 pounds per square inch (psi), which makes them, pound for pound, the cat with the highest bite strength.

Which is more fearless lion or tiger? ›

Most say the Lion heart is braver but I genuinely think the Tiger's heart is braver due to the fact it hunts alone and Lions hunt in packs , it would have to be brave . But what makes a lion is so brave is its sincerity in defending its pride/territory/cubs/females against all odds.

Which dinosaur has the strongest bite force? ›

The iconic dinosaur's jaws may have been much more powerful than scientists suspected. Of all the bites in the animal world, the Tyrannosaurus rex's may be the most famously terrifying. Now, it's also the strongest known to science, according to new research.

What extinct animal has the strongest bite force? ›

However, the record holders were ancient crocodilians: the bite force of Sarcosuchus was estimated at 215,899 newtons, and Deinosuchus at an incredible 356,401 newtons! This means that a Deinosuchus tooth exerted pressure comparable to a weight of 36 tons per square centimeter.

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