They developed and are used primarily for firmly holding food in order to tear it apart, and occasionally as weapons.

They are larger and stronger than the incisors, and their roots sink deeply into the bones, causing well-marked prominences upon the surface.

The root is single, but longer and thicker than that of the incisors, conical in form, compressed laterally, and marked by a slight groove on each side.

Upper deciduous canines also known as the baby tooth, typically erupt between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two months and shed between ten and twelve years.

Lower deciduous canines typically erupt between the ages of seventeen and twenty-two months and shed between nine and twelve years.

[5] A distinctive feature is the nearly straight outline this tooth has compared to the maxillary canine which is slightly more bowed.

Animals where this occurs include antelopes, musk-deer, camels, horses, wild boar, some apes, seals, narwhal, and walrus.

Teeth or appendages with similar appearances found in many snakes and invertebrates, such as spiders, are referred to as fangs, but are usually modified to inject venom.

[10] This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1116 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)