With so many wild animals worldwide, they all have their own ways of surviving and hunting for prey. Strength is a great factor for dominance and animals with the strongest bite are contenders to watch out for. When you consider a human bite is 162 pounds per square inch (PSI), you’ll realize the power of these animals in comparison. Read on to learn more about 15 animals with the strongest bites around!
15 Animals with the strongest bite
Here’s a list of 15 animals ranging from the least to most powerful bite. Can you guess what animal is the strongest?
1. Black piranha
- Scientific name: Serrasalmus rhombeus
- Bite force: 464 PSI
The black piranha is worth noting since it’s a small fish growing around 20 inches long. However, their incredible bite force is disproportionate to their size, clocking in at over 450 PSI. This unexpected strength, combined with their razor-sharp teeth, crowns them as the strongest bite among fish and one of the deadliest catches to encounter.
2. Alligator snapping turtle
- Scientific name: Macrochelys temminckii
- Bite force: 1,004 PSI
While you may think of turtles as small and cute, beware of the alligator snapping turtle. Another small animal of 28 inches long, their bite force is incredible compared to their size. They could easily snap off your finger! Their jaws also help them hunt for fish and small mammals.
3. Bengal tiger
- Scientific name: Panthera tigris tigris
- Bite force: 1,050 PSI
Not only do Bengal tigers have powerful bite forces, but these big cats have the longest canine teeth, growing between 2.5 to 3 inches long. Their strength also goes beyond their jaws, as they can drag prey heavier than themselves for almost half a mile.
4. Spotted Hyena
- Scientific name: Crocuta crocuta
- Bite force: 1,100 PSI
Although much smaller than lions and tigers, the spotted hyena’s bite force is much higher. They use their jaws to crack hooves and bones and will consume almost every part of their prey. Talk about not wasting! These animals also hunt in packs of up to 80 members per clan and will often steal prey that other wild animals took down.
5. Grizzly bear
- Scientific name: Ursus arctos horribilis
- Bite force: 1,160 PSI
Grizzly bears are omnivores that can use their powerful jaws to bring down animals as big as elk or moose. These large bears also eat rodents, trout, and mainly vegetation, including berries, fruit, and nuts. Besides having a strong bite force, they can also lift items over 0.8 times their body weight.
6. Polar Bear
- Scientific name: Ursus maritimus
- Bite force: 1,200 PSI
Polar bears are the largest species of bear in North America, and also the largest terrestrial carnivore in the world. So it really comes as no surprise that these massive predators have the strongest bite among bears. They typically hunt for seals, where they will wait by a seal breathing hole in silence for the seal to come out. Sometimes when food is scarce, polar bears will also eat fish, berries, or whale carcasses.
7. Western gorilla
- Scientific name:Gorilla gorilla
- Bite force: 1,300 PSI
The muscular and broad neck muscles of the western gorilla contribute to the power in their bites. Although they could crush bones in animals, these great apes typically use their jaw muscles to eat foods such as tree bark and nuts. Their body strength is also estimated to be around 10 times their body weight!
8. Bull shark
- Scientific name: Carcharhinus leucas
- Bite force: 1,350 PSI
Bull sharks have powerful back jaw muscles that contribute to the strength in their bite force. Since they typically live in freshwater habitats where the water is unclear and murky, they rely on their jaw strength to catch their prey in one bite. They can also easily break through shells and bones, including turtle shells.
9. Jaguar
- Scientific name: Panthera onca
- Bite force: 1,500 PSI
Jaguars are solitary predators with a powerful frame and can grow to 250 pounds. They are the third biggest cats after tigers and lions but have the most powerful bite force among cats. Additionally, they have a unique way of taking down their prey. Instead of biting the throat, they will crush their prey’s skull by biting completely through it. They can even bite through turtle shells.
10. Hippopotamus
- Scientific name: Hippopotamus amphibious
- Bite force: 1,800 PSI
Hippos have a reputation for being unpredictable and highly aggressive, often charging at other animals and humans. With their weight ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 pounds and their bite force of 1,800 PSI, there’s no surprise they are deadly animals. They can also open their jaws 150 to 180 degrees to help create the power in their bite.
11. Walrus
- Scientific name: Odobenus rosmarus
- Bite force: 1,850 PSI
Although funny-looking, the walruses bite force is nothing to joke about. These animals feed on more than shellfish, sometimes also killing seals. They also have the ability to fight with polar bears, thanks to their powerful jaw and giant tusks.
12. American alligator
- Scientific name: Alligator mississippiensis
- Bite force: 2,125 PSI
Surprisingly, American alligators have weak opening jaw muscles where you can hold them shut with just your hands. However, don’t be on the receiving end of their closing muscles since it produces over 2,000 PSI! They can use their jaws to crack turtle shells and easily eat birds, mammals, fish, or frogs.
13. Saltwater crocodile
- Scientific name: Crocodylus porosus
- Bite force: 3,700 PSI
Not only do they have powerful bites, but saltwater crocodiles are also the largest of the crocodile family, growing to 1,000 pounds. Additionally, these animals are responsible for around 3,000 to 5,000 human deaths every year. While a 17-foot crocodile alive today has a 3,700 PSI bite, scientists estimated that prehistoric 40-feet crocodiles would probably have a bite force of 23,000 PSI!
14. Great white shark
- Scientific name: Carcharodon carcharias
- Bite force: 4,000 PSI
There’s little surprise great white sharks are apex predators and feared by most humans. These sharks use bursts of speed to collide with their prey while also biting them with their several rows of sharp teeth. Scientists have established that a great white measuring 21 feet long can generate bite forces around 4,000 PSI.
15. Nile crocodile
Strongest bite force!
- Scientific name: Crocodylus niloticus
- Bite force: 5,000 PSI
And the winner of the strongest bite force is the Nile crocodile. While their bite forces average around 3,000 PSI, some individuals can chomp down at a rate of 5,000 PSI. That’s around 30 times an average human bite! These powerful predators rely on ambushing to hunt their prey and eat up to half their body weight.
