Sharptooth (type)

Sharptooth or Sharpteeth (Plural) is a term used by the characters in the Land Before Time films and TV series. It refers to carnivorous creatures, primarily carnivorous theropods. Many different sorts of sharptooth have appeared throughout the franchise, in various shapes and sizes, though most common are Tyrannosaurus. Most antagonists in the franchise are Sharpteeth, and at least one has appeared in every film.

Some types of Sharptooth have distinct terms. "Fast Biters" are so named for their speed and agility, and refers to dromaeosaurs ("raptor" dinosaurs) like Velociraptor. Similarly, the term "Belly Dragger" is used for crocodilians, while "Swimming Sharptooth" and "Sharptooth Swimmer" are interchangeably used for aquatic Sharpteeth.

Sharpteeth throughout the series

Sharptooth

Main article: Sharptooth

In the first entry of the Land Before Time series, there was one particular Sharptooth, a male Tyrannosaurus rex, who served as the main antagonist of the film. He is most notable for killing Littlefoot's mother, having only one good eye, and surviving multiple deadly situations. He is known as the most persistent, agile, and dangerous sharptooth in the entire franchise. Only a handful of sharpteeth have come somewhat close to his level of strength and ferocity.

Sharptooth

The Sharptooth in The Land Before Time (original)

Official artwork

Chomper

Main article: Chomper

Chomper is a young Tyrannosaurus, who was hatched in the Great Valley by the main characters, Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike in The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure. He reappeared in The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island and The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave, and as a main character in the television series. He is friendly to herbivores due to having been hatched by Littlefoot and his friends, and therefore he was accepted into the Great Valley after being pursued by Red Claw and his Fast Biters (see below).

Chomper's Parents

Main article: Papa Sharptooth and Mama Sharptooth

A pair of adult Sharpteeth; next to Sharptooth himself and the infant Sharptooth Chomper, Chomper's parents are the most prominent Sharpteeth in the series. They appear in The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure and The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island. Chomper's parents are never given names.

Chomper's Father in the second film bears a striking resemblance to the original Sharptooth from the first film, though he is a lighter shade of green and is not as large. After Littlefoot saves Chomper from Plates when they fell into the Big Water, Mama and Papa Sharptooth stop posing a threat to the leaf-eater children.

Papa Sharptooth

Mama Sharptooth

Meanest Sharptooth

Main article: Meanest Sharptooth

The Meanest Sharptooth is the legendary Sharptooth that the Lone Dinosaur once defeated. He was knocked off a cliff after fighting the legendary Longneck. His coloration is similar to Chomper's father and the original Sharptooth.

The Meanest Sharptooth

Red Claw, Screech and Thud

Main articles: Red Claw and Screech and Thud

These are the series' last set of recurring Sharpteeth and are the first Sharpteeth since Chomper to have given names. They only appear in the TV series. Red Claw, a Tyrannosaurus, is said to be the meanest Sharptooth of all. He is identified by the long red scar extending from his left eye down to the side of his body and arm to his claw. Screech and Thud are Fast Biters (Deinonychus), and serve as Red Claw's lackeys.

Red Claw (center), Screech (left), and Thud (right)

Other Sharpteeth

See also: List of Sharpteeth in The Land Before Time

Many Sharpteeth appear throughout the series, though they are portrayed more as random wandering predators than proper characters, none of them possessing the single minded ferocity and seeming invincibility of the original.

Although they are often perceived as mindless killers, being called "cowards" and "not very bright" by Bron and Grandpa Longneck respectively, The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure revealed that Sharpteeth are indeed sentient like the rest of the dinosaurs and that they even form loving families. The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island builds upon this, showing that Sharpteeth are just as intelligent and sensitive as other dinosaurs, simply speaking a different language consisting of roars and growls.

Language

“	"Gosh, I wonder what they're saying." "Oh, yeah right, like they can talk!"	”
— Littlefoot and Cera, The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island

Chomper is the only explicitly bilingual Sharptooth in the films and TV show, being able to speak his own native language, and that of the herbivorous dinosaurs. Ichy and Dil, the carnivorous threats of The Land Before Time IV: Journey through the Mists, are shown speaking the same language as the leaf-eaters as well, though this is left completely unacknowledged by the characters.

The language spoken by Sharpteeth is simply referred to as "Sharptooth" by Littlefoot in "The Cave of Many Voices". "Sharptooth" is composed of loud, intimidating roars, growls and snarls. Though its usage has extended as far back as the original film, the Sharptooth language was first shown being used for Sharpteeth talking to each other in The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure, between Chomper and his parents.

While the language of the herbivores, as they are the protagonistic creatures in the series, is heard as English to the audience, the Sharptooth language has never been directly translated, though The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island and "Escape From The Mysterious Beyond" provide subtitles for certain scenes of Sharpteeth having conversations with each other.

Ruby, an omnivorous "Fast Runner", may also know Sharptooth, as indicated by her saying she had promised Chomper's parents to look after him, something that would seem hard to do if she didn't know it (barring the possibility that Chomper was translating for them).

Subtitled Sharptooth conversations

The Mysterious Island

"Escape from the Mysterious Beyond"

Voices

• Frank Welker - Sharptooth (I (uncredited but confirmed), II (stock sounds only), Velociraptor (III (credited)), Sharptooth Flyer (V, stock sounds only), Allosaurus (VI, stock sounds only) Featherhead Sharpteeth (XIV, stock sounds only)
• Danny Mann - Allosaurus (VI)
• Pete Sepenuk - Red Claw (TV series), Screech (TV series), Thud (some sounds), Sharptooth Mom (some sounds)
• Rob Paulsen - Thud (TV series)
• Scott Menville - Sharptooth Mom (TV series)
• Other/None: Tyrannosaurus (V-VI, X-present (they use various animal stock sounds such as lions, elephants and later crocodiles)), Plated Sharptooth (V, uses stock sounds), Sharptooth Swimmer (IX, uses stock crocodile sounds), Fast Biters (XI, uses various animal sounds, including crocodiles), Sharptooth (XII, uses various animal sounds, including crocodiles), Sharpteeth (XIII, uses stock sound effects, particularly crocodiles), Featherhead Sharpteeth and horned Sharptooth (XIV, crocodile sounds and recycled sounds from the Jurassic Park T. rex)

Trivia

• Throughout the franchise, and especially in earlier movies in the series, Sharpteeth are sometimes shown standing and walking up straight, especially tyrannosaurs. In the modern day, carnivorous dinosaurs are understood to have stood and walked with their bodies approximately parallel to the ground. This error even occurs in the latest film with the pair of Featherhead Sharpteeth.
• In the first few films, the eyes of the Tyrannosaurus rex were red in color. However, in more recent films, the eyes of these Sharpteeth have become more like those of humans, with them having more natural colors, such as blue and green. Red Claw is the only Sharptooth to still have at least one red eye, in his case due to the massive scar on his left side.
• The film with the most Sharpteeth is the thirteenth movie, featuring the four primary Sharpteeth stalking the main cast on their journey and one Tyrannosaurus and dozens of of Fast Biters in the opening narration.
• The film with the most varieties of Sharpteeth is V, with a shark, several Tyrannosaurus, a family of Sharptooth Flyers, and a unique large Sharptooth all appearing in the film.
• While most Sharpteeth do act as the main antagonists of their respective films, they are not inherently villains - they attempt to eat the characters as a necessity for survival. There are some of them who can qualify as villains, but those are comparatively rare.

See also

• List of Sharpteeth in The Land Before Time
• Minor Sharpteeth
• Belly Dragger, a term for crocodilians.
• Fast Biter, a term for dromaeosaurs.
• Sharptooth Flyer, a term for flying predators.
• Swimming Sharptooth, a term for marine predators.