There are many animals in the world with teeth that are incredibly long in comparison to their body size. However, the animal with the longest teeth in the world is actually a mammal: the African elephant. An adult elephant can have tusks that are up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) long! And while they’re not technically teeth (they’re actually modified incisors), these tusks can weigh up to 100 kg (220 lb).
Interestingly, it is only the male African elephants that grow such large tusks. The females usually only have much smaller tusks, or sometimes no tusks at all. Scientists believe that the males use their big tusks as weapons to fight other males for dominance and access to mates. They also think that larger tusks may be seen as a sign of good health and fitness by potential mates, making them more attractive partners.
While having such long teeth may seem like an advantage for an animal like an elephant, it can actually be quite dangerous. Tusks can easily get caught on things and break off, leaving elephants vulnerable to predators or unable to properly defend themselves. In some cases, elephants have even been known to starve to death because they could no longer reach food with their broken tuscks!
