These 27 Animals Have Fangs and Some Will Shock You

Animals use a wide variety of adaptations to stay safe in their habitats. One type of adaptation is fangs. Fangs are large, sharp teeth, typically in the front of the mouth, that can be used for protection during attacks or for killing prey. In snakes, fangs deliver venom. In other animals, however, they’re just sharp teeth. Generally, they appear in carnivores and omnivores that use them to kill prey, but a few herbivores have fangs as well. There are many species in the world that use fangs. Here is a complete list of twenty-seven animals that have fangs!

1. Hippopotamus

Hippopotamuses are ginormous mammals equipped with large fangs. While these large creatures are certainly intimidating, hippos do not prey on animals. In fact, they’re herbivores! They live in Sub-Saharan Africa and their diet is primarily grasses and plants. So, why do they have fangs? While hippos don’t eat other animals, they do often have to fight. Their fangs are used as weapons in fights with other hippopotamuses!

2. King Cobra

Many, but not all, snakes are equipped with fangs. The King Cobra is a long, venomous snake with two small fangs. The fangs measure only half an inch in size, but this is because the cobra needs to conceal the fangs within its small mouth. Venomous snakes use their fangs to deliver venom. The venom gland is close to the tooth, and the tooth either has a superficial groove or an enclosed canal that carries the venom through the tooth. Another interesting fact about King Cobras is that their fangs are angled backward. This helps to maneuver prey down into the stomach of the snake.

3. Baboon

Some species of monkeys possess fangs, including baboons! Baboons are large and strong monkeys. These primates are omnivores, feeding on fruits and insects. However, their fangs also enable them to kill small animals swiftly. Additionally, baboons use their fangs to demonstrate dominance over other male baboons in their territory.

4. Sharks

Sharks are known for their sharp fangs. These giant fish possess fangs for the purpose of killing their prey, which includes sea lions, seals, fish, and other invertebrates. The fangs of sharks are some of their best assets when it comes to offense, as well as defense.

5. Tigers

Many species of big cats have fangs, including tigers. These carnivores live in Asia and Eurasia and feed on deer, cattle, and boar. In order to execute their kills, they need some strong teeth to help them. The fangs of tigers tear their prey and allow the cat to defend itself. Tigers are the largest cats in the world!

6. Jaguars

Jaguars, like tigers, are big cats equipped with large teeth! These felines live primarily in Central and South America. They are also carnivorous, feeding on deer, capybara, and tapir. These cats, just like tigers, use their fangs for feeding as well as protection.

7. Leopards

Leopards are another species of big cats that are equipped with fangs. These felines live in Africa and southern Asia and feed on deer, warthog, and rodents. They use their fangs to capture and consume prey. They spend much of their time in trees, but their fangs are still vital to their survival.

8. Lions

Lions are large, carnivorous cats that feed on large animals. The fangs that lions are equipped with help them to win battles against their prey, which include antelopes and zebras. Male lions are also extremely aggressive and can sometimes use their teeth to kill one another.

9. Vampire Bats

Vampire bats are omnivorous bats equipped with fangs (hence their playful name). These bats, found in Central and South America, exhibit hematophagy, meaning that an important source of their food is the blood of other animals. They use their fangs to cut into their prey.

10. Wolverine

The wolverine is another species equipped with fangs for the purpose of survival. They are omnivores, but they have a preference for meat. These creatures are extremely aggressive and dine on prey much larger than themselves. They often wait until their prey is dead before using their fangs to tear into the meat.

11. Tarantula

Tarantulas are a species of spider equipped with fangs! Tarantulas are venomous, and their fangs, similar to snakes’, carry venom from their venom glands into their victims. However, due to the size of their fangs, a bite is not incredibly painful. Apparently, it feels a lot like a bee sting.

12. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are another species of venomous snake. Like other snakes that carry venom, the fangs are used to bite and inject the venom into their victims. It is the largest species of rattlesnake in the world, and its venom makes it one of the most dangerous rattlesnakes.

13. Wolf

Many species in the canine family are equipped with fangs, including wolves. These animals use their fangs for prey consumption. The fangs of wolves are specifically used for holding prey in their mouths. Wolves have four types of teeth, each serving a unique purpose in the animal’s life.

14. Domestic Cats

Just like their large relatives, domestic cats are equipped with fangs. While some outdoor cats may put their fangs to use to capture small prey like mice, rats, and birds, many domestic cats don’t really use their fangs at all. Like wolves, domesticated dogs are equipped with fangs. They are, however, a remnant of their evolutionary history.

15. Dogs

Like wolves, domesticated dogs are equipped with fangs. Some dogs today hunt and catch prey, and their fangs are useful for carrying and gripping their prey. However, it’s most likely that your pet dog uses their fangs for one of their favorite games: tug-of-war! Their canines, or “fangs,” are what allow them to hold on so tightly to the rope or toy.

16. Opossums

Opossums use their fangs for a unique purpose: climbing! These marsupials are agile creatures, and their fangs work like hooks for maneuvering through trees and climbing fences. Of course, they also use their fangs for defense. When predators approach, opossums are known to open their mouths. This is to show off their large, intimidating teeth.

17. Vampire Deer

“Vampire deer” is the nickname for water deer, a small deer species that lives in Korea and China. These deer are equipped with fangs, but they do not use them often. Male vampire deer use their fangs to establish dominance and fight off other males, but they are not generally used for carnivorous purposes.

18. Bears

Bears are large mammals that are somewhat close relatives of canines. Bears are equipped with fangs, which they primarily use to rip apart their prey. They have a total of four sharp canines used for this purpose.

19. Puma

Pumas, also called cougars, mountain lions, and Florida panthers, are another species of big cat equipped with fangs. Their large teeth serve the same purpose as most mammal fangs: tearing apart prey. Pumas eat various types of meat, including coyotes and deer. Their fangs are essential to their ability to catch and consume prey.

20. Siberian Musk Deer

The musk deer is another species of deer equipped with fangs. Musk deer have also been nicknamed vampire deer, so it can be difficult to understand which is being spoken about. Musk deer use their fangs to fight and defend themselves, while water deer are more conservative with their teeth.

21. Gorilla

Some apes, including gorillas, are equipped with fangs. These giant animals use their fangs for two distinct purposes: eating prey and asserting dominance over other gorillas. It’s not uncommon for male gorillas to fight one another, and apes use their fangs during those incidents.

22. Goliath Birdeater Spider

Goliath birdeater spiders are another type of spider that is equipped with fangs. These spiders are the largest known spider species in the entire world. Similar to tarantulas, goliath birdeater spiders have fangs due to their venomous nature. However, the venom of these spiders is fairly weak. They also use their fangs for show. When predators approach, goliath spiders will show their teeth to threaten their enemies.

23. Payara Fish

Payara fish are another type of fish that possess fangs. These fangs can be between four and six inches long, and they’re pretty intimidating to the eye! Payaras are nicknamed vampire fish because of their intense, visible fangs.

24. Gaboon viper

The Gaboon viper is another type of snake that is equipped with fangs. They are highly venomous and live in a few different regions of Africa. It’s one of the most dangerous snakes in the world due to the volume of venom it injects in a bite. Like other snakes, its fangs act as a tunnel for venom to be carried through.

25. Black Mamba

Black mamba snakes are another variety of snake equipped with fangs. The fangs of the black mamba are only about a quarter-inch in size, and they are fixed in the front of the snake’s mouth. These snakes are venomous, with astoundingly potent venom. Only two drops of a black mamba’s venom will kill a human!

26. Red Spitting Cobra

Red spitting cobras are a variety of snakes that spit their venom onto prey. However, their fangs are still important, as they are the vessels from which the venom comes. The venom from red spitting cobras isn’t generally fatal to humans, but it commonly causes disfigurement to the victim.

27. Fruit Bat

Fruit bats are another herbivore that is equipped with fangs. These bats have a mouth absolutely full of teeth. The fangs in a fruit bat’s mouth take up a large proportion of the available space. Because fruit bats are herbivores, their fangs are primarily used to crack into fruit. Now you’ve learned about 27 different animals that are equipped with fangs! They use their fangs for a wide variety of things, including defense, dominance, and eating. These adaptations prepare the animals to succeed in their appropriate environments. While fangs are similar from animal to animal, the diverse range of uses is a testament to the way the environment dictates behavior.

Questions About Fangs

Do all snakes have fangs?

No, all snakes do not have fangs. This article discussed quite a few varieties of snakes that have fangs, but there is one common characteristic present in each of those snakes: they are venomous. Venomous, or poisonous, snakes are the only ones equipped with fangs.

Do all cats have fangs?

All cats generally have fangs, though the size of the fang can differ from species to species, as well as between individual cats. Clouded leopards have the largest canine teeth relative to body size of any cat species.

Do birds have fangs?

No, birds do not have fangs. In fact, birds don’t even have teeth! They may be equipped with some ridges along their bill, but birds have neither fangs nor teeth.

What snake has the largest fangs?

Gaboon viper snakes have the largest fangs. They can reach up to two inches long.