Have you ever wandered through the woods and ask yourself which animal jaws should you avoid at all cost because of the strength of their bite? Normally, you don't find yourself too often in these scary situations, but it's nice to be informed. I decided to learn about this topic today, and found some interesting facts.

The force of the bite is the term used to measure the amount of pressure that is performed when the animal bites. The stronger the bite, the greater the pressure. Bites are measured in “pounds per square inch” (psi) and that is the force when their jaw closes down when biting. Important factor when calculating the force of the bite is the weight of the animal delivering the bite.
Scientists often use computer simulation to give an answer to the question which animal has the strongest bite, because it could be a very risky venture obviously.

This is the list of ten animals with the strongest bites in the animal kingdom according to scientific studies.

1. Nile crocodile

Bite force: 5.000 psi (34.743 kPa)

The Nile crocodile is one of the three species of crocodiles that live in Africa and the second largest species of crocodile, after the Estuarine crocodile. Nile crocodiles live in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. They have a bad reputation because they attack humans. The population in many African countries is in danger of extinction, although as a species they are not threatened with extinction.

2. Saltwater crocodile

Bite force: 3.700 psi (25.510 kPa)

Saltwater crocodile is the largest living species of crocodiles and reptiles. They live in an environment across Southeast Asia and in northern Australia, which is why they are often called Indo-Pacific or Estuarine crocodiles. Saltwater crocodiles inhabit mainly tropical, humid regions around the freshwater swamps and rivers, and sometimes they are moving down to the sea.

3. American alligator

Bite force: 2.125 psi (14.651 kPa)

One of only two known species of alligators. Lives in North America and is considered endemic in the southeastern part of the United States. The oldest American alligator lives in Zoo in Belgrade, Serbia, and he is more than 80 years old.

4. Hippopotamus

Bite force: 1.800 psi (12.410 kPa)

The hippopotamus, from the Greek word Hipopotamos which means "river horse", is a big, mostly herbivorous African mammal. One of the two existing (three or four recently extinct) species of the family Hippopotamidae. Hippos are social animals and live in groups of up to 40 individuals. The lifespan is typically 40 to 50 years. In Africa hippopotamus kills more people than any other animal specie.

5. Jaguar

Bite force: 1.500 psi (10.342 kPa)

Jaguar is the third largest cat in the world, after the tiger and the lion. The smallest jaguars live in Central America, the region from Mexico to Colombia, and the largest jaguars are living in southern Brazil, and areas of Paraguay and norther Argentina. Jaguar has a great sense of sight and hearing, which allows him to track prey. Jaguar has a sensitive night vision, which allows him to hunt by moonlight or starlight.

6. Bull Shark

Bite force: 1.350 psi (9.307 kPa)

The bull shark also known as the Zambezi shark is commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. This species occurs across the western Atlantic Ocean from New York to Brazil, as well as along the east coast of Africa, and fresh specimens are found in lakes of Guatemala and Nicaragua. Bull shark has a very big mouth, armed with sharp teeth and they are known for their aggressive nature. Some even claim that these are the most dangerous and the most aggressive sharks. Although less often attack humans than a great white sharks, in percentages they are responsible for more deaths. This is because, unlike the great white shark, when bull sharks attack they are not withdrawing, but remain with the victim and continue to attack.

7. Gorilla

Bite force: 1.300 psi (8.963 kPa)

Gorillas are the biggest of all today's primates and inhabit the rainforests in the equatorial part of Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species: the Eastern and the Western gorillas. Their DNA is almost identical to the humans and they are the closest living species similar to humans after two species of chimpanzees. Adult females are usually twice less than males. Gorillas live in groups called troops which numbers up to 30 gorillas with one leader, an adult male, silverback, usually older than a 12 years.

8. Polar bear

Bite force: 1.200 psi (8.273 kPa)

White or polar bear inhabits the Arctic and is the biggest land carnivore in the world. The fur is white colored and provides an efficient camouflage during the hunting, but their skin is actually black. Polar bear has adapted to life on land, ice and water. He is a superior predator - mainly prey are seals, young walrus and whales. Polar bears are a vulnerable species. Some scientists believe that the decrease of polar ice and rising sea levels due to global warming will have strong negative effects on the survival of this specie.

9. Grizzly bear

Bite force: 1.160 psi (8.000 kPa)

A grizzly bear is a subspecies of brown bear, which lives mainly in the western highlands of North America. For this subspecies is believed to be descended from Ussuriysk brown bears who crossed to Alaska from Eastern Russia 100.000 years ago. Grizzly bears are typically solitary active animals, but in coastal areas grizzly bears gather near the streams, lakes, rivers during the spawning season of salmon. Grizzly is very fast. They can run at speeds up to 60 km/h despite their weight. Grizzlies are also known to be great swimmers.

10. Hyena

Bite force: 1.100 psi (7.584 kPa)

Hyenas are carnivoran mammals in the Hyaenidae family. They live in western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula and in large part of Africa. A characteristic feature of all hyenas is that their front legs are longer than the back, so that when they walk, they have the appearance of a bear. Hyenas are highly intelligent animals, and some scientists believe that they are at the same level of intelligence as some species of monkeys. Trough history Hyenas had largely negative reputation. In Africa, they had been linked with divinities, as a witches' and the devil's helpers.

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Sources 1, 2, 3, Images 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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