The Difference in Teeth In Different Species
SNAIL
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Unlike our teeth, snails have teeth growing on their tongues! Their tongues, known as radulas, have rows of tiny teeth. While nearly all snails have radulas, they vary on the number of teeth. Some snails only have a few, but others have thousands. Snails don’t use their teeth the way we do either. They can’t chew. Instead, they stick out their radulas to grind away at their food with the teeth. This process wears out their teeth, so they have to grow new ones. Source: http://www.omg-facts.com.
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WALRUS
Walruses use their iconic long tusks for a variety of reasons. The tusks are in fact large canine teeth that grow throughout their lives and can extent to about 3 feet. They use them to haul their enormous bodies out of frigid waters, thus their “tooth-walking” label, and to break breathing holes into ice from below. Male walruses, or bulls, also use their tusks aggressively to maintain territory. Source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.
SHARK
The outside of shark teeth are made up of fluoride, the active ingredient of most toothpaste and dental care mouthwashes. Although human teeth are covered in a different mineral, both shark and human teeth are equally hard. Sharks never get cavities, and are able to replace their teeth multiple times throughout their lives. It helps to explain why sharks are so effective at either tearing or cutting prey. Their teeth are perfectly designed for such tasks, never suffering from cavities. Source: http://news.discovery.com.
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FROG
L LOBSTER
The teeth of a lobster are in its stomach. The stomach is located a very short distance from the mouth, and the food is actually chewed in the stomach between 3 grinding surfaces that look like molar surfaces, called the “gastric mill.” Source: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov.
Frogs have maxillary teeth along their upper jaw, which are used to hold food before it is swallowed. These teeth are very weak, and cannot be used to chew or catch and harm agile prey. Instead, the frog uses its sticky, cleft tongue to catch flies and other small moving prey. The tongue normally lies coiled in the mouth, free at the back and attached to the mandible at the front. It can be shot out and retracted at great speed. Some frogs have no tongue and just stuff food into their mouths with their hands. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog.