Note: I wrote this short feature for Premiere, the True Visions customer magazine, to coincide with Discovery Channel’s Shark Week.
Check out these 4 surprising facts about sharks.
1. So many teeth
We humans come with just a top row and a bottom row of teeth, but sharks have way more to spare. For the typical shark, its front row of about 50 teeth is backed up by around 7 more rows of replacement teeth. And whale sharks are equipped with up to 300 rows of teeth.
2. Long live the shark
The lifespans of smaller sharks are typically 15 to 20 years. But it’s not unusual for very large sharks to live 100 years — some whale sharks reach 150.
3. Nice suntan
Catching some sun is a shark thing, too. Hammerhead sharks are known to swim near the ocean surface in order to tan, because the darker skin provides more camouflage protection.
4. Actual size may vary
Among the more than 500 types of sharks, the largest are whale sharks, at up to 60 metres long. At the other end of the range, the average pygmy shark barely reaches 20 centimetres long. That’s an 8-inch shark!
New York City has rats way bigger than that.
I wish I could send an actual shark who could feast on that clown and solve a major problem with one shark meal!
LikeLike
You may want to send this to the White House. I understand the current resident is fascinated by sharks. Who knows? You might get a cabinet appointment.
LikeLike