A man being bitten.

A bite is a wound received from the teeth of an animal. Animals may bite things in self-defence. Animals also bite things to cut them into smaller pieces before they eat them.

Bites can cause many medical problems, such as:

• Tearing or scratching the tissue
• Haemorrhaging if major blood vessels are pierced
• Infection by bacteria or pathogens, such as rabies
• Introduction of venom by venomous animals such as some snakes
• Introduction of things that may irritate the person by causing inflammation or itching