Know the characteristics and facts about the great white sharks

Today we are going to talk about him who is the biggest predator of the oceans: the great white shark ( Carcharodon carcharias ). Despite carrying the title of killer of the seas, much recent scientific research has “cleaned up” this image of this huge fish.

All because, despite being much feared by men, they are responsible for only about 5 to 10 attacks a year and are rarely fatal, according to the BBC Nature.

This is because these animals are naturally curious and usually bite humans only to "taste" the flavor, releasing their victim afterwards. It may not sound very comforting, but that means humans are not part of your favorite dish.

According to an article in Live Science, great white sharks are among the best-known types, identified by their size, grayish skin, white bellies, and frightening rows of up to 300 very sharp, serrated triangular teeth.

Dimensions and “powers”

As we are talking about the largest predator of the seas, obviously its size is huge, as they can reach an average of 4.6 meters in length, but there have been records of specimens over seven meters and weighing over two tons. And females are bigger than males.

All this size is also combined with some "powers" that help them in everyday life. One is the ability to detect a single drop of blood from miles away, which is very useful when chasing a more vulnerable prey. In addition, it can also detect minor electrical discharges from the heart, minimal vibration and gill movement.

Another feature that gives it an advantage is its grayish hue (its name is white shark due to its belly), which is great for the animal to camouflage under the sea, especially in rocky areas.

On top of all this, the white sharks have a body shape that can be said to be torpedo-shaped, which can reach high speeds useful for hunting and escape. They are powerful swimmers and have powerful tails that can generate a surge in water that can reach up to 40 kilometers per hour.

Eating and habits

The white shark does not have much freshness to eat and whatever comes in sends it in. Among its main prey are sea lions, seals, whales, sea turtles and even carrion, mainly from drifting whale corpses. Sometimes the shark can turn prey when confronted with its biggest enemy: the orca whale.

White sharks are known to be sociable but restricted animals because they move in small groups. In fact, both the behavior and social structure of this shark can vary greatly. In South African specimens, for example, these animals have a dominance hierarchy, depending on size, sex, and tenure rights.

Females dominate males, while larger sharks dominate smaller ones and territory owners dominate newcomers.

But they rarely resort to combat in stressful situations, although some individuals have already been found with bite marks that match those of other white sharks. This suggests that when there is a conflict, they react with a warning bite (such as "call!") Or to show who is in charge there.

In fact, the social structure of a group can be compared to that of a pack of wolves, where each member has a clearly defined position and each clan has an alpha leader.

Habitat

According to Live Science, great white sharks are found mainly along the coasts of Australia, South Africa, California and the northeastern United States. However, they can also be found in smaller numbers in the Azores, Brazil, the Caribbean, the east and northwest coast of Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, northern Australia, the Philippines and Hawaii.

These animals prefer warm seas and temperate coastal areas, and can be found swimming on the surface or up to 250 meters deep, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

reproduction

Great white sharks also reach sexual maturity around the age of 15. They are ovoviparous animals, that is, the eggs develop and hatch in the womb and continue to develop until birth, and the gestation period is eleven months.

According to Live Science, puppies are able to swallow their own teeth when they are still in their mother's womb, a habit that can happen to take advantage of calcium and other minerals. The teeth grow back normally later.

When the puppy is born, it can measure from 1.2 to 2.5 meters in length, being completely able to take care of itself. As soon as they are born, they immediately swim to areas away from their mother to hunt for small marine animals. Great white sharks can live to be 70 years old.