Africa is continent well known for its exotic animal species and wildlife in general. She manages to attract millions of people each year and leave a unique and memorable experience to its tourists.
From the stunning Great Migration of the millions of animals like wildebeests,zebras and many more; to the formidable hunting prowess of predators such as lions, hyenas, leopards, and the list goes on.
In such a massive migratory period one might say that predators basically have a buffet at their disposal. In some ways it’s true but the capturing of animals such as wildebeest isn’t an easy task and requires deadly tools for the predators to successfully catch their prey. Amongst claws, muscular structure and stamina of the animal, one feature of predatory animals is said to be of utmost importance. That being the bite force.
Today we will learn about the animals with the strongest bite force amongst the African plains and review what makes them such formidable hunters.
5. Leopards
Although the image may seem to portray a docile and friendly cat you mustn’t be illuded nor underestimate the lethality of this very feline. Leopards descend from the same genus as lions, that being panthera; the actual scientific nomenclature of the leopard is Panthera Pardus.
We human beings are all unique and that can be demonstrated through our DNA composition and fingerprints. Similarly, the ‘spots’ we see on the fur of leopards are called rosettes and each leopard has a unique and unrepeatable pattern which allows them to be unique.
We’ve discussed characteristics of a lion which make it a formidable predator, but what about a leopard I hear you ask? Well, well. To begin with, leopards can be considered to be one of the most if not the most agile ‘panthers’ of the panthera genus: with their ability to jump approximately 6 metres in the air. They’re basically astronauts looking for new planets. To accentuate the astonishing characteristics of a leopard, they are capable of transporting their meals on top of trees. Thanks to their strong muscular body and jaw, they are able to rest their meal on trees where competitors like lions and hyenas are incapable of reaching.
They should probably use a ladder or get a ranger to give them a boost up towards the branches.
Oops nearly forgot, Leopards are not to be toyed with. They are lean mean fighting machines with the bite force capable of crushing any bean! (bite force of approximately 300 psi)
On a scale from 1 to 10 I would rate the leopard a solid 7/10 in terms of lethality.
4. Lions
This image perfectly illustrates the danger that a lion may pose to a prey like a zebra. With their canines reaching an average length of 7 centimetres, you can rest assured that when a lion catches its prey, it is there to stay.
Lions are from the Panthera subfamily group and as such are said to be ‘big cats’.Unlike,the family group of ‘small cats’, ‘big cats’ harness the ability to roar. However, ‘big cats’,unlike ‘small cats’ aren’t able to pur.Now that would have been a sight to see. With an average weight for a male lion equating to 430lbs and female lions(lionesses) equating to 300lbs: trust me when I say that they are BIG CATS!
For those wanting to know the scientific name of lions, it is Panthera Leo. 😀
Amazingly, lions are the only members of the ‘big cats’ family who aren’t solitary by nature, in fact they form prides which can consist of up to 30 lions. Yes, some other animals from the ‘Panthera’ family may form coalitions amongst themselves, such as tigers. However, this is a minority and it isn’t their habitual behaviour whereas lions are raised in prides from day 1.
With a Bite force equating to 650 psi such statistics would scare the animals of the Savannah like wildebeest and zebra. Hence why they are king of the jungle! However, one must consider the fact that the bite force of 650 psi is the estimated bite force of a subadult male lion and not a fully mature adult. Scientists’ studies suggest that we may have underestimated the pressure of a Lion’s bite force and is actually estimated to be close to 1000psi. Brrhhh Scary stuff!
On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate the lion a solid 8.5/10
3. Hyena
The Hyena is that weird looking dog with the arched back who seems to ‘laugh’ when pestering lions. The irony is that the ‘laughing’ sounds that we hear from the hyenas isn’t because they’re genuinely content or excited. It is primarily heard when the hyenas are in a moment of distress.
The scientific nomenclature of spotted hyenas is Crocuta crocuta. To many peoples’ surprise the spotted hyena or so the most ‘famous’ one isn’t actually the only hyena. There is the aardwolf, striped hyena and the brown hyena which all fall in the same family of the spotted hyena. This being the Hyaenidae family.
Hyenas, like lions, are carnivore and therefore do not have any adaptation to help them digest plant matter. All carnivores have adaptations to optimise their dietary functions. An example large canines to pierce their preys and carnassial to strip meat off bones. Hyenas unlike their feline competitors do not have very large canines. However, such absence does not stop them from being one of the most efficient predators as their bite force equate to 1100 psi equalling if not exceeding that of an adult male lion. Wowzers!
Like their arch-nemesis hyenas also co-operate amongst themselves in groups;these groups are called cackles. Unlike lions, hyenas have a matriarchal structure. This means that female hyenas have more dominance than the male members of the cackle and thus hold higher ranks in the cackle.
Overall, I rate the hyenas a solid 8/10 in terms of lethality
2.Hippopotamus
This humongous animal, believe it or not is one of the most feared animals amongst the animal kingdom. From the picture above,I don’t think you need a specific reason as to why this animal shouldn’t be taken seriously. We will explore the other peculiarities which makes this creature worthy to be in this ranking.
The hippopotamus, otherwise known as ‘Hippopotamus amphibius’ in the science world, is a true testimony of how complex nature can actually be. If I was to ask you, ‘What animal do you think hippopotamuses are closely related to?’ I’d get a range of answers but the majority might favour towards an animal which people see in their supermarkets in a day-to-day basis: this being the pig. HOWEVER! You would be incorrect. According to scientific studies, it was found that hippos are actually closely related to… Whales?! I know I was shocked too when I first discovered this. Another astounding feature of the hippo, is its skin. Hippos secrete this red-gel: it makes those unwary of its properties believe that the hippo is bleeding. But in fact, it is very much healthy. The reddish gel is actually a natural barrier which helps the hippo keep its skin moist and protect from the harsh,scorching UV rays of the sun.
I know what you all came for, you guys are probably thinking- ‘quit your yapping and tell us its actual strength’. Well, I’m here to absolutely blow your socks off! The hippos are machines of war. With males having an average weight of 1650kg(3637 lbs) and females with 1400kg(3087lbs) they both are are heavier than the city cars we see in the streets. To no surprise, with such great weights also comes great strength. Although mostly vegetarian, hippos can sometimes feed on meat but that is very rare. So one begins to wonder, why such large canines and incisors: grass isn’t going exactly going to run away from a hippo, is it now. You would be very correct.
The teeth are mostly used in combat for territory, mating and other factors. Shockingly, a large vegetarian animal is capable of exerting bite pressures of about 1820 psi making it truly an animal to be mindful of.
I rate it a 9.5/10 in terms of lethality.
1. Nile Crocodile
Now to the final boss of this tier list, the Nile Crocodile. The Nile crocodile is the largest crocodilian in Africa and belong in this list for their sheer strength. This species of crocodile is known in the scientific world as Crocodylus niloticus Let’s start by saying that out of all the animals we discussed in this list, crocodiles are very, very unique. This is because we are essentially comparing nowadays animals to a prehistoric dinosaur. Crocodiles have shared habitats with dinosaurs such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex and modern day crocodiles actually descend from their extinct, closely related,Deinosuchus. Just imagine it as a Saltwater Croc, the biggest crocodile in the world and multiply its size and strength by at least a 1000.
The average weight for male Nile crocodiles is 485kg(1069lbs) and female crocs going to about 145kg(319lbs). This is not the heaviest animal in this list and nor is it its main trait.However still heavy enough to flip us over like an omelette. Nile crocodiles have razor-sharp like teeth which act as daggers when hunting. Even more scary is the fact that they have a range of teeth which can go up to 68 in numbers. To add fuel to the fire, each of these teeth can reach lengths of about 4 inches. Never bring a knife to a gun fight, that’s how the saying goes. I guess crocodiles didn’t see the fuss in that with that many rows of teeth.
Adding insult to injury, their skin is literally a cheat code to having more health points. They are highly resistant to disease as they seem to inhabit the dirtiest of waters.
With all this info I would adjudicate the Nile crocodile the victor. Yet you guys wouldn’t know about the feature that makes this animal take the number 1 spot on this list…
The Nile Crocodile is capable of putting on a pressure of an astoundingly,unimaginable,unfathomable pressure of 5000 psi!!
This is the part where we all take a moment to reflect and shout… ‘SAY WHAAAAAT!’
Lethality for me this has to be 10/10
End of the road
That’s all for now, thank you for staying and hope that you enjoyed this article as much as I did when writing it. All the best and make sure to stay tuned for more amazing and interesting articles just like this one. Bear Out