Who has the most powerful jaws? Shark bite force: consequences The strongest bite force

Recall that 1 atmosphere = 101,325 Pa.

Leo - 40 atmospheres. Oddly enough, the bite of the “king of beasts” is considered not the strongest when compared with other representatives big cats. However, it is quite enough to hold prey and then tear it to pieces.

Tiger - 71 atmosphere. The largest representative of big cats and one of the most impressive predators on the planet. The mass of some Amur tigers reaches 380 kg, and their bite is almost twice as strong as the bite of a lion.

Spotted hyena - 74 atmospheres. Hyenas have some of the most powerful jaws of any mammal, specifically designed for crushing bones. Hyenas easily eat the completely gnawed remains of the prey of other predators, if necessary, even chewing the bones of a giraffe.

Grizzly bear - 81 atmospheres. The largest subspecies of American brown bears live in Alaska. Their mass can exceed 450 kg, and their jaw strength exceeds that of many big cats. Brown bears, as a rule, do not hunt people, but often show aggression when defending their territory.

Gorilla - 88 atmospheres. Luckily for most of the gorillas' natural neighbors, they are vegetarians. But to protect their group, the largest of the monkeys use not only their paws, but also their powerful jaws, capable of biting through almost anything.

Hippopotamus - 124 atmospheres. Surprisingly, many people still consider hippos to be the good-natured hulks from children's books. In fact, they are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, incredibly aggressive and territorial. With one bite they can kill a lion or a crocodile, let alone a person caught in the tooth?

Jaguar - 136 atmospheres. The winner in bite force not only among all big cats, but also among all mammals on the planet. Jaguars are the only predators that kill prey by breaking its skull with their jaws. Moreover, they often hunt cows.

Mississippi alligator - 144 atmospheres. For crocodiles and alligators, nothing is more important than a correctly placed bite, so they take three prizes. Mississippi alligators are large enough to attack people, but they rarely do so, preferring to feed on fish and turtles.

Saltwater crocodile - 251 atmospheres. Heavy artillery was used. The largest reptiles on the planet grow up to 7 meters in length and weigh up to two tons. Sometimes they attack pleasure boats, biting through them.

Nile crocodile - 340 atmospheres. Those same “big evil crocodiles”, because of which children, and not only them, should not go for a walk in Africa. Nile crocodiles They are slightly inferior in size to the combed ones, but they more than compensate for this with truly monstrous jaw strength. Seasoned crocodiles can kill and eat even adult male lions, not to mention other predators of the savannah.

Which animal do you think has the most strong bite? A lion? Hyena? Turtle? Or maybe something smaller, like a piranha? The answer may surprise you. There is a famous saying that says: " Big fish eats small fish” and if you look at how nature works, there is a lot of truth in this statement. It is especially true in the animal kingdom, where most animals survive using a wide range of tactics and evolutionary characteristics. As you may have guessed, bite force is one of many characteristics that help animals not only in their search for food, but also in self-defense. It is for this quality that today we will compile a list of the most “successful” representatives of the animal kingdom. Bite strength means a lot - from the beautiful Siberian tiger to the fearsome polar bear, we present to you the 25 most powerful bites in the animal kingdom.

25. Orca, PSI: 19000 ~ unknown

Until now, it has been impossible to accurately measure the force of a killer whale's bite. However, based on incidents involving orcas in captivity, it is estimated that their bite force may exceed 19,000 PSI. Since this is just a guess, this moment the killer whale gets only 25th place.

24. Piranha, PSI: unknown


If we speak in the context of boxing, then the piranha would emerge as the absolute champion in its weight. The force of her bite exceeds her body weight by 30 times, this is simply unheard of in the animal world. However, its exact strength has never been measured.

23. Leopard, PSI: 300–310


The leopard is one of the five "big cats" of the panther genus and is found in many parts of the world, such as parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia, Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and even Siberia. Known for its athleticism and speed, the bite of a leopard is definitely something to avoid.

22. Tiger shark, PSI: 325


This marine animal may be one of the deadliest dangerous predators ocean and definitely looks very scary. However, its bite force is only 325.

21. Wild Dog, PSI: 340


The wild dog is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and is considered the largest member of its genus in Africa. Don't let her appearance deceive you; in terms of bite strength, she can compete with cougars.

20. Puma, PSI: 350


The puma is considered the largest wild land mammals in the western hemisphere and one of the fastest animals. They do not have the strongest bite, however, they have muscular jaws and long fangs that are adapted to bite into meat, tendons and muscles.

19. Wolf, PSI: 406


The wolf is one of the most famous and well-studied animals. They also have one of the most paradoxical relationships with people. The wolf is a remarkable hunter; they usually hunt in packs in order to kill animals that are much larger than themselves. The wolf boasts an impressive bite force of 406 PSI.

18. Mastiff, PSI: 556


The Mastiff has the strongest bite of any domesticated dog. Even a Rottweiler, Pitbull or German Shepherd cannot compare with him.

17. White shark, PSI: 669


Although sharks should generally have the strongest bite of any fish, this shark's bite is surprisingly weak. However, this may be due to the fact that sharks do not need a strong bite, since they do most of the damage with their teeth.

16. Leo, PSI: 691


It was sad to see the “king of beasts” in such a low place, but it was obvious that his bite was not his main advantage. However, lions have quite a strong bite, which earned them a place on this list of the 25 Strongest Bites.

15. Jaguar, PSI: 700


The jaguar is scary not because of its powerful bite, but because of the way its teeth are designed: they can penetrate the skull and are capable of breaking through the shell of a turtle. For comparison, jaguars have the strongest bite relative to body weight among the entire cat family.

14. Brown bear, PSI: 850


The humble brown bear lives in the forests and mountains of northern North America, Europe and Asia. It is the most widespread bear in the world and has an impressive bite force of up to 850 psi.

13. Kodiak, PSI: 930


The Kodiak lives on the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwestern Alaska, from which it borrowed its name. This is the largest subspecies brown bear and one of the two largest representatives of the bear genus. The second is the polar bear.

12. Amur tiger.PSI: 950


Amur tigers not only have incredibly powerful jaws, but also very sharp teeth, which they use to dig into the throats of their victims.

11. Snapping turtle, PSI: 1000


According to a bite force test done by Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic, the snapping turtle has a bite force of approximately 1,000 PSI.

10. Bengal tiger, PSI: 1050


Bengal tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are famous for their strength and power. Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid people, but the few that don't are responsible for the deaths of many people in India, where they live.

9. Hyena, PSI: 1100


This not-so-cute and scary animal, which we learned about as children while watching The Lion King, has teeth that are specially adapted for eating rough food, as well as crushing and digesting large bones. Their milk is rich in calcium due to the huge amount of bones included in their diet.

8. Polar bear,PSI: 1235


Polar bears are among the strongest and toughest mammals on the planet, and as such, they also have a very powerful bite. Their diet consists mainly of seals, which are by no means soft-skinned, but their teeth are also adapted for a vegetable diet.

7. Grizzly Bear, PSI: 1250


The grizzly bear is a majestic and dominant symbol of wild and primal power. They are omnivores and have very strong teeth. Their incisors are relatively large, as are their canines. Unlike most other animals, their teeth are also adapted for a vegetable diet.

6. Snout shark, PSI: 1250


Bullnose sharks have the strongest bite of any fish, but their strength is only half their power, because they also have very sharp teeth.

5. Gorilla, PSI: 1300


The teeth of typical male gorillas are white and large, but not very sharp. However, they have very strong neck and jaw muscles, which make their bite very strong.

4. Hippopotamus, PSI: 1821


Hippos may not look like they have a strong bite, but the truth is that these huge animals have very strong jaw muscles. Even though they are herbivores, their bite is considered the strongest of all mammals.

3. Mississippi alligator, PSI: 2125


The Mississippi alligator is rare story success in breeding an endangered animal. This species was saved from extinction. The Mississippi alligator is one of the most vicious and deadly predators in the world, and its bite ranks third on our list.

2. Nile crocodile, PSI: 5000


The Nile crocodile has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most vicious man-eaters in all of Africa. Exact amount It’s hard to name, but it’s estimated that about 200 people die every year in the jaws of the Nile crocodile. It ranks second on our list.

1. Saltwater crocodile, PSI: 7700


To put it bluntly, the saltwater crocodile is the most large reptile, living on our planet at the moment. It is also the largest terrestrial and coastal predator in the world. The length of males of this species can reach 6.7 meters and weight 2000 kilograms. They also have the strongest bite of any animal in the world.

A shark bite is dangerous because in most cases it is fatal. A shark rarely leaves its prey bitten. An evolutionary arms race has given the bull shark the widest head and greatest bite force of any species.

"It's all because of the width of their jaws; bulls have very huge heads," says marine biologist Philip Mott of the University of South Florida Tampa.

In a study conducted by Maria Habegger, Mott and colleagues, scientists measured bite force in 13 species. “It's not that simple,” they say.

In a direct comparison, they got: a 2.7 meter bull shark has a bite force of 216 kg, a 2.4 meter great white 163 kg.

“A 5.4 meter great white will have more powerful bite than a 3.3m bull, simply because of the size,” says Mott.

A bull shark of the same size will have a stronger bite

Evolution

How so? An increase in evolutionary weapons is observed among young individuals. The study shows that having a stronger bite is necessary to gain an advantage over other species in being able to take larger prey at a younger age. The increase in bite force is rapid among juvenile fish, then “levels off” in adults.

"They feed in murky coastal waters where they must hold on to their prey," he says.

Some species, such as great whites, prefer to grab their prey and let it go, allowing it to bleed out rather than being held like bull sharks.

As it turns out, the image of a monster biting everything in its path is largely unfounded. Their bites are not as strong as we might imagine.

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For many years, information about the strength of a shark's bite was largely mythical. Based on reports of attacks by bull, great white and tiger sharks, we know that many species produce enough force to dismember a human body. But no exact figures were associated with these facts.

Shark bite pressure study

The first test to determine the pressure exerted by a shark bite was carried out in 1965 by two researchers who created a sensor consisting of a solid aluminum tube wrapped in PVC, with ball bearings inserted around the outside of the invention. [source: Martin].

The researchers wrapped the device in mackerel and gave it to sharks to eat. Since different species have adapted to different types food, the strength should be different.

Some species, such as the whale shark (the most close-up view), has thousands of teeth, but does not use them. Instead, they have tissue that filters plankton and small fish right in their stomachs.

Scientists found that the black species (about 1.5 m long) has about 110 kg of force on its rear jaws.

That's not much, since a 1995 study found that the average bite force of 22 dog breeds was approximately 26 kg [source: Lindner]. But what about the big guys like brindle, bull, great white? We talked about them above. It is truly the teeth that cause the most damage.

If a person had the punching power of a mantis crab, he could launch a ball into space!

Most researchers have concluded that the number of deaths from great white shark attacks is disproportionately small compared to the number of attacks. Researchers at the University of New South Wales believe the species is dangerous because of its incredibly sharp and frequent teeth, rather than the strength of its jaws [source: Live Science].

Teeth

Despite their destructive effect, shark teeth are easily lost. They have no bones (supporting structures are made of cartilage), so their teeth are not attached to their jaws. While teeth can break off easily, they have the opportunity to grow them back.

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The lemon shark replaces a lost tooth in about eight days [

We bring to your attention ten animals with the most powerful bites in the animal world. There are animals that would most likely be in this top ten, but the strength of their bites has not yet been measured due to the complexity or high cost of measurements. Eg, White shark, which should have a very strong bite, but precise measurement it does not exist except for theoretical estimates. Tasmanian devil has the strongest bite relative to its size - 13.6 atmospheres (14 kilogram-force per square centimeter), which is only slightly more than that of hyenas.

10. Leo
42 kgf per sq. cm

An unexpectedly low place for the king of beasts. Lions are the only social felines in the world. They almost always hunt together, which may be why they did not have to develop strong bites during their evolution. Another reason may be that they kill their prey by biting the trachea, which does not require a strong bite. Lions hunt at any time of the day, but most often at night. They can go without water for five days, but prefer to drink daily if possible.

9. Tiger
74 kgf per sq. cm


Tigers, the largest members of the cat family, hunt alone. The size of tigers reaches 3.3 meters and weighs about 300 kilograms. They hunt mainly at night. Like lions, they usually kill their prey by grabbing the throat, thereby cutting off the flow of blood and air. They have a strong bite that is almost twice as strong as a lion's bite. Currently, the number of tigers kept in captivity is greater than the number of wild tigers. They generally avoid people, but in some conditions they can attack people and livestock.

8. Spotted hyena
77 kgf per sq. cm


Hyenas have one of the strongest bites in the animal kingdom - 77 kgf per square centimeter. With their bite they can even bite through the bones of giraffes. Most likely, it is the fact that hyenas are scavengers that causes them strong jaws. To get to the bone marrow, which is not of interest to large predators, strong jaws are needed.

Although hyenas look like dogs, they are actually closer to cats and belong to the suborder Felidae rather than Canidae. Hyenas can kill a dog with one bite. Despite popular belief, hyenas do hunt themselves, and lions, ironically, often steal their prey. Like lions, hyenas are social animals.

7. Grizzly
84 kgf per sq. cm

This subspecies of brown bear, living mainly in North America, is known for its enormous size and aggression. Despite their size, grizzlies can reach speeds of 56 kilometers per hour. Grizzlies mainly feed on nuts and berries, but sometimes they also hunt. In Yellowstone National Park, for example, they hunt other animals.

Grizzlies are considered more aggressive than other bears. This is due to the fact that due to their size they cannot climb trees, and therefore they have developed such a unique defense mechanism. In addition to aggression, during the course of evolution, grizzly bears have also developed strong jaws, which help them protect themselves from wolves and other predators. Grizzlies weigh between 300 and 500 kilograms. They can be dangerous to humans if they encounter a mother with cubs, but grizzly bears do not view humans as prey.

6. Gorilla
91 kgf per sq. cm

Gorillas eat plant foods, so it’s strange to see them in this top ten. In fact, there is little surprise here. Gorillas feed on tough and durable plants such as bamboo - to do this they had to develop strong jaws and neck muscles.
Gorillas used to be seen as big scary animals, but in Lately Increasingly, they are seen as “gentle giants.” They are our closest relatives (only chimpanzees are closer), and their population is rapidly declining (there are only 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild). Gorillas can climb trees, but most often they prefer to be on the ground. They usually live in communities of 30 individuals, led by a dominant old male. Gorillas are predominantly gentle creatures and pose no danger to humans.

5. Hippopotamus
128 kgf per sq. cm

Hippos are large and strong herbivores. They are one of the most feared animals in Africa. Hippos are aggressive and defend their territory by capsizing small boats and attacking people. The bite of a female hippopotamus was measured, since males are too aggressive, but even the force of her bite reached a huge value of 128 kgf per square centimeter. The word "hippopotamus" comes from Greek language and means "water horse". The closest relatives of hippopotamuses are whales and cows. They belong to the order Artiodactyla, which also includes horses, camels and goats.

4. Jaguar
141 kgf per sq. cm


Jaguars have the strongest bite of all cats and mammals in general. They live mainly in Northern and South America. Jaguars kill by biting the victim's head. Like many other big cats, jaguars hunt alone. There are known cases where jaguars killed anacondas and caimans. Jaguar bites are so strong that they can even bite through the shell of a turtle. The word "jaguar" comes from the American Indian language and means "one-leap kill." Although jaguars are smaller than their African and Asian relatives, they are the largest feline in the Americas.

Jaguars are thought to have disappeared from the southern United States more than 100 years ago, but rumors have recently surfaced that a population may be developing in Arizona. Largest quantity Jaguars live in Belize, on the Cockscomb Basin Reservation.

3. Mississippi alligator
149 kgf per sq. cm


Mississippi alligators are one of two extant species of alligators (the other being the Chinese alligator). Their population currently stands at 5 million, of which 1.2 million live in Florida. Their natural habitats are Florida, Texas, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Crocodiles also live in these same areas. They feed mainly on fish, turtles and small mammals. In a recent National Geographic study, an alligator's bite was estimated at 149 kg per square centimeter, but their bites may be stronger, since this study did not measure the most big representative kind.

2. Saltwater crocodile
260 kgf per sq. cm


Saltwater (or saltwater) crocodiles have the strongest bite of the specimens in the National Geographic study. True, they didn’t even choose the biggest crocodile. If you estimate the bite force of the largest crocodiles, you will most likely get a bite force of 500 kgf per square centimeter.

The range of saltwater crocodiles extends from eastern India to southeastern Asia and northern Australia. Their “diet” includes buffalo, fish and even sharks. Australians affectionately call these crocodiles “salties,” but there is nothing gentle about these giants. They are responsible for more attacks on humans than any other crocodiles (except the first place in this top ten).

1. Nile crocodile
352 kgf per sq. cm


In a National Geographic experiment, Nile crocodiles' bites were weaker than those of saltwater crocodiles, but most other sources state that Nile crocodiles bite with a force of 352 kg per square centimeter. Nile crocodiles are usually about the same size as saltwater crocodiles and have the same bite force. Both of them can take first or second place on this list, since it is difficult to choose which individuals to test and difficult to figure out how to conduct the experiment correctly.

Nile crocodiles primarily feed on fish, but like their relatives, they will attack any animal that happens to be nearby, such as zebras, birds and small hippos.

The main force of a human bite comes from the chewing teeth and muscles, it is extremely powerful and reaches a maximum pressure of over 113.4 kg. In general, the average human bite force in kg is 45-68. Some sources report that people do not use their full force when chewing food.

In fact, our teeth are strong enough and the bite force of a person is enough to chew on a cinder block. Amazing, right?

A human being bitten by a human is obvious, but in some cases the victim is unaware
(for example, when the victim was drunk) or does not want to tell others who bit him (for example, because of a hand injury during a fight).

Be careful with cuts above the knuckles if they occur in combat, especially when the cuts were caused by another person hitting the mouth.

Why is a human bite dangerous?

Is it possible to become infected with HIV through a human bite? In addition to tissue trauma, infections due to oral flora are added, this becomes a serious problem for the body.