Page 81 - (DK) Super Shark Encyclopedia: And Other Creatures of the Deep

LASHING OUT

THRESHER SHARK

No other shark hunts quite like the thresher shark. Its tail
LONGEST
is as long as its entire body, and is used like a whip to stun
prey. Thresher sharks chase around in the open ocean
TAIL COMPARED
and, like their bigger cousin the great white shark, they
can stay active because their blood is warmer than the
TO BODY SIZE
surroundings. Once they find a school of fish, they circle
it to bunch their prey closer together. Then they smack
their tails so fast that the shock alone leaves prey floating
and ready to eat.

AT A GLANCE

• SIZE 12½–25 ft (3.8–7.6 m) long

• HABITAT Open ocean waters,
especially near continents
• LOCATION Worldwide
• DIET Mainly schooling fish,
such as mackerel, but also squid

STATS AND FACTS

WEIGHT
A thresher’s tail is so
lb 400 800 1,200
long that it can reach
forward and whip at
kg 200 400 600
prey over the top of
the shark’s head. Pairs 167–350 lb/ 500–1,125 lb/
76–160 kg 230–510 kg
or small groups may TAIL LENGTH (tail weight) (total weight)
hunt together and, like
some other kinds of
ft 5 10
energetic sharks, they
often jump out of
m 1 2 3 4
the water.
6½–12 ft
(2–3.8 m)
SPEED OF TAIL WHIP
LIFESPAN
mph 30 60 90
50 km/h (50–130 km/h) 100 150
50
31–80 mph
YEARS

79