Ranking 14 Animals With The Strongest Bite Force In The World

At some point, every young boy wonders ‘which animal would win in a fight?’ pitting apex predators against one another in imaginary battles. While there are some real world examples captured on film to provide us answers, like Grizzly Bears vs Wolves, for the most part the only way to compare species is through measurements like Bite Force (PSI) and relative strength.

Today, we are taking a look at 14 animals across the world with the strongest bite force. Some are omitted because of overlap. For example, I could have listed out every crocodilian subspecies as well as a dozen or so shark species but that wouldn’t be fun for anyone, would it?

Ranking 14 Animals with the Strongest Bite Force in the World

For these rankings of animals with the strongest bite force I also wanted to start off with a familiar species: dogs. The Anatolian Shepherd (aka Kangal Dog) has the strongest bite force of any dog species. I happen to be the proud owner of a rescue dog that is a mixture of Anatolian Shepherd and Great Pyrenees, another dog species with a notoriously strong bite force and I can attest that my dog turns moose antlers into dust with ease.

As a point of comparison, the average human bite force when chewing food is between 120-160 PSI and the maximum recorded bite force by a human being is 975 PSI, according to a Guinness World Records entry. That bite force came from Richard Hofmann in Lake City, Florida who tested his bite force on a gnathodynamometer at the College of Dentistry in Gainsville at the University of Florida. But for all intents and purposes, think of an average human bite force around 150 PSI.

14. Anatolian Shepherd — 743 PSI

With the strongest bite force of any dog we have the Anatolian Shepherd at 743 PSI. Not too far behind is the Cane Corso, a much more popular breed these days, with a 700 PSI bite force.

Compare that to a Rottweiler which has a bite force of just 330 PSI and you begin to see just how strong the Kangal Dog is from Turkey / Anatolia. These ancient livestock guardians are independent thinkers, meaning they don’t need shepherds/owners all up in their business. They can guard a flock on their own and take out bears and wolves when needed. Coyotes are fun for them.

13. Lion — 1,000 PSI

Moving away from the only domesticated animal on this list to the African savannahs, we have the majestic lion. They have a fearsome roar, the males have a thick mane protecting their necks, and they boast a 1,000 PSI bite force. An animal needs just 300-500 PSI to break bones with bite force and the lion easily covers that with a 1,000 PSI bite.

12. Alligator Snapping Turtle — 1,000 PSI

Seeing the Alligator Snapping Turtle with a 1,000 PSI bite force makes me rethink my childhood and what exactly my parents were doing letting me catch these turtles by hand in the drainage ditch in our backyard! I’d catch them and bring them to the backdoor to show off to my parents then bring them back to the water. That 1,000 PSI bite force could have easily snapped my bones in half and taking my fingers with it.

11. Spotted Hyena — 1,100 PSI

With a 1,100 PSI or 4,500 Newton bite force the Spotted Hyena possesses bone crushing power no animal wants to find itself on the business end of. Their wide skulls and extremely powerful jaws are adapted for maximum bite force which allows them to eat bones and extract nutrients other animals in their region cannot.

10. Polar Bear — 1,200 PSI

The only bear that has been observed stalking human beings for sport, the polar bear, has the second strongest bite force of all bear species at 1,200 PSI. That is plenty strong to crush the bones of seals. A polar bear’s diet consists primarily of ringed and bearded seals as well as whale carcasses, reindeer, and birds. They are opportunistic hunters constantly in search of high-fat meals needed to stay healthy in the Arctic.

9. Gorilla — 1,300 PSI

As a kid I think many of us were led to believe that gorillas had amongst the strongest bite force on earth. And technically they do at 1,300 PSI ranking 9th among all animals but they also possess immense strength. They can rip limbs from their prey and then crush bones with their jaws. That is a deadly combination for any predator.

8. Grizzly Bear — 1,400 PSI

The strongest bite force of all bear species belongs to the Grizzly Bear at 1,400 PSI. These apex predators have a fearsome reputation in North America and fear no creature. Their diet consists heavily of fish and mammals such as elk but also berries and nuts. There is a popular myth that grizzlies can bite through a bowling ball which might’ve been the case in the past but with modern materials bowling balls don’t split that easily.

7. Jaguar — 1,500 PSI

Jaguars have an unfathomable bite force of 1,500 PSI which is 3x the force needed to crush bones. They are rulers of the jungle and pound-for-pound have the strongest bite force of any ‘Big Cats’ as their bite force is nearly that of a tiger but they are considerably smaller in size. Jaguars have zero trouble biting through the armored scales of caimans or shells of turtles in the rain forest.

6. Tiger — 1,525 PSI

The overall strongest bite force of any cat belongs to the tiger. That should come as no surprise to anyone. These majestic cats are as powerful as they are beautiful and with a 1,525 PSI bite force they can easily snap bones with their jaws.

A tiger’s diet consists heavily of deer, wild boar, and other medium-sized mammals. They also have 30 teeth including 4-inch canines that are razor sharp.

5. Hippopotamus — 1,800 PSI

If you are like me then you have probably seen countless videos of hippos eating pumpkins and watermelons on social media and marvel at just how widely these creatures can open their jaws. They are known to be among the deadliest creatures in Africa as hippos are fiercely territorial. What’s wild is they are herbivores. Any carnage inflicted by a hippopotamus and its 1,800 PSI bite force is done out of sheer rage.

4. Great White Shark — 4,000 PSI

Heading into the water for the final four animals on this list we start with the Great White Shark which has a bite force of 4,000 PSI. This should come as no surprise as the Great White Shark is at the top of the food chain amongst sharks. They are capable of reaching speeds in bursts of 35 MPH and with a 4,000 PSI bite force that spells game over for whatever unfortunate creature is on the other end of their attack.

3. Nile Crocodile — 5,000 PSI

The second strongest bite force among crocodiles belongs to the Nile Crocodile at 5,000 PSI. As a point of comparison, the American Alligator has a bite force ranging from 2,100 to 3,000 PSI.

Nile Crocodiles can grow up to 16.5 feet long and weigh upwards of 1,600 pounds when fully grown. They are fearsome predators that have plagued human beings around the Nile River for millennia.

2. Saltwater Crocodile – 7,000 PSI

The strongest bite force among crocodile species belongs to the Saltwater Crocodile at 7,000 PSI. That is over 2x the strongest bite force range of the American Alligator and 14x the bite force needed to crush bones. They can pulverize bones at will.

Saltwater Crocodiles can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh upwards of 2,200 pounds while feasting on small mammals and fish. They are ambush predators and known for their ‘death roll’ where they latch onto prey and roll violently to tear flesh while subduing their catch.

1. Orca – 19,000 PSI

At #1 on this list, the animal with the strongest bite force of all, we have the Orca aka ‘Killer Whale.’ Their 19,000 PSI bite force is enough to crush a car nearly 8x over. They can turn bones into dust with ease.

The Orca diet consists primarily of marine mammals, sharks, fish, squid, and birds. Thankfully for us, no wild orca has ever killed a human being. They don’t see us as prey on the rare instances we cross paths in the wild.