Page 72 - World of Animals - Deadly Predators

the flanks of every species of shark. These cells detect
tiny changes in the water pressure around the shark,
giving it the upper hand in combat. Nerves at the
surface of the skin connect to hairs that detect water TOP
flow. Input from cells stationed from head to tail helps
a shark build up a mental picture of its environment. dangerous
This extra sense means sharks can recognise an attack
from any angle and also keep darting prey well within 5
their crosshairs.
Along with having immense speed and lethal
teeth, sharks have armour built right into their skin. sharks
Serrated plates overlap to form a coating that’s sharp
to the touch. This offers a degree of protection from
predators, although the biggest sharks are hunted by
very few. Shark skin may be rough but it’s still sensitive.
Skin is an organ by itself, and sharks can recognise a BULL SHARK

“Input from cells stationed 1 Carcharhinus leucas
Lifespan 12 years
Adult weight 130kg (285lbs)
Conservation status
from head to tail helps a

shark build up a mental NOT THREATENED

picture of its environment”

temperature change of as little as 0.1 degrees Celsius.
They follow cold currents where upwellings of nutrients
attract fish and marine mammals.
In order to deliver a fatal blow, great white sharks
can take to the sky. These enormous fish hunt fast-
swimming sealions and use the element of surprise to
guarantee the prey won’t flee. The shark swims to the © Thinkstock
surface at 65 kilometres (40 miles) an hour and can
clear the water by three metres (10 feet). Great whites
don’t attack humans in this fashion. Sharks don’t go
‘rogue’ or develop a taste for human flesh. Sharks > Bull shark LOCATION: Tropical and temperate coasts
inspect objects with their teeth. Puncture wounds
This stocky hunter invades inland waterways in search of prey. Their
found in sea otter carcasses indicate that sharks have
kidneys can process both fresh and saltwater and bull sharks have
nibbled but didn’t want to eat it. Sharks aren’t so much been spotted 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) up the Amazon river.
as attacking, but investigating their environment and
don’t deserve their man-eater reputation.

EXTINCT OCEAN TERROR

This mammoth shark terrorised the ocean for 13 million
years. They could grow to 18 metres (60 feet), three
times longer than the biggest great white shark. Its
mouth could open wide enough to swallow two adult
humans side by side. Each of its 276 teeth could grow
to 18 centimetres (seven inches), and its bite was 10
times harder than a great white.
An intact megalodon skeleton has never been
found but scientists have worked hard to build
reconstructions of the extinct fish. It had a short snout
and long pectoral fins, and it has left teeth on every
continent except Antarctica. Megalodon met its end
through global cooling around 3 million years ago.
One-third of large marine animals died out during this
period, leaving the top spot in the ocean food chain for
evolving species to claim.
Despite misinformation in documentaries and the
circulation of doctored images on the internet, there is
no chance megalodon live today. Megalodon was long
gone before humans existed. Its extinction paved the © Thinkstock
way for large whales to evolve and if the giant shark
still existed, there probably wouldn’t be any whales.

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