Home Page Where to find us | Contact us | Newsletter
 Visitor Information   Education   Conservation   About Noah's Ark   Links   Creation Research 
Research Home
What happened?
Was it a true story?
Creation biology
Earth History website
The evidence of fossils
Earth billions of years old?
The faint sun problem
Bacteria are good for you
Evolution: Yes and No
Reptiles to Mammals
Apes to Man
Animal classification
Reptiles
Mammals
Birds
Amphibians
What really happened?
Darwin: Science, Family and Faith

Sign up to regular newsletters!
Sign up to our newsletter to receive emails with the latest on births, special events and offers...
Adopt one of our animals...
A unique gift idea: Adopt any of our animals from Giraffe to Gerbil and get a free visit!
Green Tourism Business Scheme
Learn more about our involvement with the Green Tourism Business Scheme
Follow us on Facebook
Join the Noah's Ark Facebook Group for news, pics and videos!
Follow us on Twitter
Follow Noah's Ark on Twitter for news, pics and regular updates!

Mammal teeth features

Teeth affect the way nearly all mammals eat and live, their diet and often their survival.

Diagram of teeth arrangment: Incisors, Canines, Molars and Premolars

Mammal teeth are of 3 sorts: 1, incisors, 2, canines, 3, molars and premolars, found on each jaw (top and bottom). But there are many exceptions to this design, and all very successful.


 

No teeth

Platypus' have no teeth at allThese mammal groups have no teeth at all:

Duck-billed platypus, Echidna, Giant anteater, Pangolin and Baleen whales.


No top front teeth

No top teethThese mammal groups have no top front teeth (upper incisors):

Cattle and Sheep (Bovidae family), Deer (Cervidae family), Camels and Llamas (Camelidae family), Chevrotains (Tragulidae family).


 

Milk teeth

Adult and milk teeth showing age of goatMany mammals have 'milk teeth' that they are born with, but lose in their early life to be replaced by adult teeth.

Cattle are born with 8 and lose 2 each year until they are four years old. Farmers can use this to tell how old cows, sheep and goats are.

Deer also are born with 8, and lose 2 after six months, and all the rest are gone by the time they reach one year old.

Horses are born with no teeth, but by two weeks all 6 top and 6 bottom incisors have appeared. These all fall out and are replaced by the time they reach two and a half years old.

Some rodents, and seals and walruses lose their milk teeth in utero.


Missing front teeth

Elephant incisors, tusksSome mammals have no top or bottom incisors.

Aardvarks have no front teeth (incisors or canines).

Elephant tusks are 2 long front incisors, they have no other front teeth.

Asian Rhinos have front teeth, but African Rhinos have none top or bottom.

 


Moving back teeth

Elephants have unique back teeth (molars), the largest on the planet. They use just 4 at a time (top and bottom, left and right), when worn, they are replaced from behind, not below, like all other mammals. The old teeth move forward and fall out. Sea cows and Manatees are similar, but use 4 teeth at a time.


Teeth that always grow

Rodent teethAll rodent groups have 2 front teeth only. These grow all the time, they need to be used to wear them down:

Guinea pigs, maras, capybara-Caviidae family, Rats and mice - Muridae family, Squirrels - Sciuridae family, Beavers and Mountain Beavers, Rabbits and Pikas - Lagomorphs, Mole-rats - Bathyergidae family


 







 
Copyright © 2005-2010 Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, All Rights Reserved.
 
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm is a spectacular hands-on zoo with huge indoor adventure playgrounds and the world's longest hedge maze, all on a genuine working farm!

Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Clevedon Road, Wraxall, Bristol, BS48 1PG
Tel: 01275 852606