GREAT WHITE SHARK

LIFE AND NATIONAL HISTORY

• Reach lengths of 6.1m and weigh up to 2,268 lbs.
• The name "white shark " is thought to come from it's white belly
• The great whites belong to the lamnidae family
• Found in cold tropical waters
• Feast on seals and sea lions

WHY WE NEED SHARKS

• Keep other marine life in healthy balance
• Help provide 1/3 of the worlds food
• Produce more oxygen
• Removes half of the atmosphere man made carbon dioxide
• Controls planet's temperature and water

TEETH

• Not attached to gums on a root like our teeth
• Typically loose a tooth per week
• Sharks have about 15 rows of teeth in each jaw
• Sharks are born with all their teeth
• Shark teeth and are teeth are equally hard

SENSES

• Detect a drop of blood in a million drops of water
• Have a layer like a mirror in the back of the eye using the lateral is system
• Sharks are sensitive to low frequency sounds and have good directional hearing
• Sharks have their taste buds in the back of their mouth
• Sharks that live deeper in the ocean usually have bigger eyes

ANSESTORS

• One of the most famous a ancestors is the carcharadon megalodon
• It was big enough to eat a whale
• The shark could grow upwards 50ft long

FUN FACTS

• A shark attack on a human can be less than 6ft 6in of water
• The blue shark is the fastest shark reaching 43 mph in short burst
• Dwarf shark is the smallest of about 4in
• Sand tiger sharks are most active at night
• Sharks swallow food whole