Lion Coloring Sheet

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How Sharp Are a Lion’s Teeth? is made possible by Master Books and their amazing nature and science books for kids including books about dinosaurs and the Genesis flood! 

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How Sharp Are a Lion’s Teeth?

I have seen lions in zoos, but I have never been close enough to really study their teeth. They are usually napping and not showing them off. Even so, lions rely on their sharp teeth every day to grip prey and eat meat off the bone. God designed their teeth in special ways that help them survive.

Just like humans, lions are not born with fully sharp adult teeth. They begin life with baby teeth and lose them by the time they are fifteen months old. Their adult teeth grow in after that, and these teeth are quite sharp.

Lions depend on two main types of teeth to hunt and eat.

Canine Teeth

So exactly how sharp are a lion’s teeth? Lions have two canine teeth on the top and two on the bottom. These are the large pointed teeth you probably picture when you think of lions. Each one is about seven centimeters long, about the length of an adult human’s index finger.

These teeth are excellent for:

• gripping prey
• holding tightly to large animals
• keeping animals from getting away

Canine teeth are big and impressive, but they are not the sharpest teeth in a lion’s mouth.

Carnassial Teeth

Lions also have carnassial teeth, which are located farther back in their mouths. These are sharp molars that work like shears. When a lion bites down, the upper and lower carnassial teeth slide past each other and slice meat into smaller pieces that the lion can swallow.

These scissor-like teeth are the sharpest teeth a lion has. They allow lions to shear through meat quickly and powerfully.

Why Lions Need Such Sharp Teeth

All of these teeth help lions survive because they are obligate carnivores. This means they must eat meat to live. Their canine and carnassial teeth are part of God’s design to help them get the food they need for themselves and their pride.