Search
February is Dental Health Month, so it’s a good month for reminders about brushing, flossing, eating right and doing everything to take care of your teeth.
Of course, people aren’t the only ones with teeth. The animal kingdom is full of animals with weird and sometimes terrifying teeth. Here are just a few. What would you do if you saw these in your neighborhood?
Musk Deer
The musk deer of Asia has long fangs instead of antlers. With a face that looks a little like a kangaroo, and teeth a little like Dracula’s, musk deer are herbivores (plant eaters). It uses its long teeth to scrape off moss and other vegetation to eat.
The Narwhal
Sometimes called the “unicorn of the sea,” this small, 13-foot (4m)-long whale has a “spear-tooth” atop its head. Scientists think this could be used for protection and to break up ice in the whale’s arctic habitat. The narwhal’s “horn” is actually a right canine tooth that grows forwards through the animal’s forehead.
The Babirusa
The babirusa have teeth which are used as weapons. Native to Indonesia, these “Deer Pigs” have massive lower canines that curl, fang-like, over the upper jaw. Their upper canines also come in backwards, pairing with the lower tusks and curling back towards the head. The babirusa must grind their teeth down as they can grow into the animal’s skull, killing the beast.
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus it the third largest land animal and it has the largest canines of any land animal. It has two sword-like teeth that grow to be 16 inches (40cm) in length.
