Lion's Teeth — Easy to Understand

Lions have very strong teeth to help them eat meat. Their teeth are different shapes, and each kind has a job.

Types of lion teeth

• Canines (fangs): These are the big pointed teeth at the front. Lions use them to grab and hold onto animals and to bite.
• Incisors: Small teeth at the very front. Lions use them for nibbling and cleaning meat off bones.
• Carnassials (back teeth): These are big, sharp back teeth that act like scissors to cut meat into pieces. Lions don’t chew like we do — they tear and slice.

How many teeth?

An adult lion has about 30 teeth. A lion cub first has small baby teeth, and as it grows those fall out and are replaced by big adult teeth.

Baby teeth and grown-up teeth

Lion cubs are born without visible teeth. Tiny baby teeth come in when they are very young. Later, as the cubs get bigger, the baby teeth are replaced by larger adult teeth so the lion can hunt and eat meat on its own.

How lions use their teeth

• They use their canines to grab and hold prey.
• They use their strong jaws and carnassials to tear meat into pieces.
• They swallow chunks of meat rather than chewing like people do.

Fun facts and a safety tip

• Fun fact: A lion’s canines are very long and sharp — much stronger than our teeth!
• Safety tip: Lions are wild animals with very strong teeth. Never try to touch or go near a lion in the wild.

Would you like a simple drawing or picture of a lion's mouth so you can see where the teeth are?