Top 3 Craziest Animal Teeth to Look for at the Indianapolis Zoo

Thinking of taking a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo sometime soon? Keep an eye out for these animals with the craziest teeth while you’re visiting.

Amur Tiger

Also called the Siberian tiger, the Amur tiger’s teeth are mighty impressive! Their 30 sharp teeth are designed for gripping fast prey and tearing it apart. Like humans, these tigers also have premolars and molars to help with breaking down their food once their razor sharp from teeth have torn into it. We can actually accurately guess the age of a tiger by their teeth, too. Their teeth grow throughout their life until they fall out as the tiger enters old age.

Pacific Walrus

Did you know that a walrus’s tusks are actually its upper canine teeth? These tusks can grow to be 40 inches long, and some weigh as much as 12 pounds a piece. The Pacific walrus, in particular, has longer tusks than its counterpart, the Atlantic walrus. They use their tusks to defend their territory and mates, as an ice pick, and even to pull sizable prey onto land. Walruses also have smaller, flat-topped teeth, but they aren’t used for much since walruses tend to swallow their food whole.

Warthog

Like walruses, warthogs have large tusks protruding from their mouth. They have upper and lower tusks that both curve up outside the mouth. The upper tusks can grow to about 10 inches long. Tusks can curve more than 90 degrees from the root. They use their tusks for digging, fighting other warthogs, and defending against predators. Because of their shape and position, these tusks are obviously not used for chewing. They have other teeth that take care of that for them!

Snap some photos of these fun teeth during your visit to the zoo. We would love to see them and hear all about your zoo adventure at your next dentist appointment at Dental Solutions of Avon!