What mammal has the strongest bite force per unit body weight?

The mammal with the strongest bite force per unit body weight is the Tasmanian devil. This small marsupial produces an exceptionally powerful bite for its size, often described as the strongest relative bite among living mammalian carnivores.

Its stocky body, oversized head, and heavily muscled neck provide the leverage needed to crush bones and tear through tough meat. Researchers compare relative bite strength using a bite-force quotient, which accounts for body size; the Tasmanian devil’s quotient has been reported at about 181. Absolute bite force is a different measurement and can favor much larger animals.

Tasmanian devils are both predators and scavengers. Their jaws can open unusually wide—around 75 to 80 degrees—and their robust teeth are adapted for consuming nearly an entire carcass. Their powerful bite is sometimes compared with that of a hyena, but the two animals are not close relatives; similar skull and tooth features are an example of convergent evolution. The species is native to Tasmania and is the largest surviving carnivorous marsupial.