Forget Jaws, saltwater crocodiles have strongest bite

The huge reptiles, which can measure more than 20ft, have jaws that snap shut with a force of 3,700lb, or almost two tons. In comparison, the great white shark has a chomping capacity of 2,095lb at the tip of its jaws.

The spotted hyena has the highest recorded bite force in a mammalian carnivore, at just over 1,000lb. Scientists measured the bite forces and tooth pressures of all 23 living crocodilian species, including crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials.

The most powerful biter was the “salty” which also generated pressures exceeding 360,000lb per square inch. However, this paled next to the largest of its extinct ancestors, some of which had bite forces of 23,000lb – double that of Tyrannosaurus rex.

The findings of the study, carried out at Florida State University, are published in Public Library of Science ONE.