30 adult teeth, including 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars, and 4 molars, are present in lions. At the age of three months, a lion’s permanent teeth start to erupt through the gums, and they continue to grow during the next 13 to 15 months.
Mammals typically have between 20 and 40 adult teeth. Typically, marsupials have between 30 and 50 teeth. Animals other than mammals that consume insects typically have significantly more.
The lion’s canine teeth are made to sever the spinal cord of prey by wedgeing between the cervical vertebrae; when feasting, the canines also shear meat from bone. The only way a lion’s jaws can move is vertically, and they have a maximum force of 690 pounds.
