Page 35 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Tackling shark attacks
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Great white shark

The infamous king of sharks
GREAT WHITE SHARK
Able to detect a single drop of blood in 100 Carcharodon carcharias
Class Chondrichthyes
litres (25 gallons) of water, the great white
is an incredible hunter. When it comes to
human encounters, this shark holds the
record for the highest number of attacks –
a total of 314 incidents since records began Territory Temperate waters
worldwide
in 1580, although only 80 of these have Diet Carnivore
resulted in death. Great whites are naturally Lifespan Up to 70 years
curious creatures, and the majority of Adult weight Up to 3,000kg
(6,600lbs)
attacks are thought to be test bites, where Conservation Status
the shark samples what it thinks to be prey,
but then spits it out again. You can read
more about great white shark attacks and VULNERABLE
their hunting techniques on page 48.

Tiger shark

This fish isn’t fussy with its food

The tiger sharks isn’t known for having a gentle
demeanour, and its hugely varied diet means it will
eat almost anything that crosses its path. Living in
the tropics, this species has been known to use its
razor sharp teeth to tear into sea turtles, stingrays,
sea snakes and even old tyres. On rare occasions,
humans have been added to that list; a total of 31
fatal and 80 non-fatal attacks have been recorded,
putting the tiger shark second only to the great
white when it comes to human threat.

TIGER SHARK
Galeocerdo cuvier
Class Condrichthyes

Territory Tropical and
subtropical waters worldwide

Diet Mostly fish, but has
diverse diet
LifespanUp to 50 years
Adult weight 385-635kg
(850-1,400lbs)
Conservation Status

NEAR THREATENED

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