Shark Fun Facts

There are about 370 species of sharks. Only about 30 species attack people.

Shark Attacks

Shark attacks declined from 79 attacks in 2000 to 55 in 2003 (study by University of Florida).

Sharks kill an average of 1 person each year in America, and fewer than 10 worldwide.

Great White Shark

A Few Shark Species

The great white shark is responsible for people attacks more than any other sharks. It is about 12 feet long, weighing about 3,000 pounds.

Tiger shark comes in second place for people attacks.

Mako shark is the fastest shark; it can swim at a speed of 43 mph.

A whale shark, one of the largest, is usually harmless: some grow to be 45 feet, weighing about 30,000 lbs.

Physical Features

Anytime a shark loses its tooth, it can grow another one; sharks have back up rows of teeth to replace lost teeth. There are records of sharks growing about 20,000 teeth in their lifetime.

Sharks have dermal denticles, not scales, covering their skin and protecting them from injury.

A shark skeleton is made out of cartilage, not bones, allowing the shark to be more flexible.

Sharks have a strong sense of smell—2/3 of their brain is devoted to their smell sense.

Birth: most sharks develop their eggs and hatch them inside the shark, before birth. A few lay the egg before hatching. And about 10% of sharks give birth like mammals, no eggs.

Shark livers were used for a vitamin A supplement.

Blue Shark

Whitetip Reef Shark

Fun Facts about Other Animals