Fang

This article is about the tooth. For the tribe in Africa, see Fang people. For other uses, see Fang (disambiguation).
The four canines, or fangs, of a domestic cat. (The largest two teeth of the top and bottom rows of teeth.)

A fang is a long, pointed tooth.[1] In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom).[2] Spiders also have external fangs, which are part of the chelicerae.

Fangs are most common in carnivores or omnivores, but some herbivores, such as fruit bats, have them as well. They are generally used to hold or swiftly kill prey, such as in large cats. Omnivorous animals, such as bears, use their fangs when hunting fish or other prey, but they are not needed for consuming fruit. Some apes also have fangs, which they use for threats and fighting. However, the relatively short canines of humans are not considered to be fangs.

  1. ^ "Fang - Definition of Fang by Merriam-Webster".
  2. ^ Vonk, Freek J.; Admiraal, Jeroen F.; Jackson, Kate; Reshef, Ram; de Bakker, Merijn A. G.; Vanderschoot, Kim; van den Berge, Iris; van Atten, Marit; Burgerhout, Erik (July 2008). "Evolutionary origin and development of snake fangs". Nature. 454 (7204): 630–633. Bibcode:2008Natur.454..630V. doi:10.1038/nature07178. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 18668106. S2CID 4362616.