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Carcharodon carcharias:

Carcharodon carcharias: . The Great White Shark. The Great White Shark…. The Great White Shark is a creature not to be feared, but rather revered, respected, and protected. The Great White has been on planet Earth far longer than humans

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Carcharodon carcharias:

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  1. Carcharodon carcharias: The Great White Shark

  2. The Great White Shark… The Great White Shark is a creature not to be feared, but rather revered, respected, and protected. • The Great White has been on planet Earth far longer than humans • The Great White possesses many remarkable characteristics that deserve our respect • Many of the reasons the Great White’s population numbers are decreasing are due to human exploitations, so it is our duty to protect and respect this creature

  3. History of the Great White Shark • Carcharodon lineage • Traced to Isurolamnainflata65 to 55 million years ago • 30 million years ago • Oligocene Era • 23 million years ago • Miocene Era For how long have “modern” humans been in existence?

  4. Physical Characteristics • Average length: 12 – 16 feet • Average weight 5,000 pounds • Snout is short and conical • Streamlined and torpedo shaped • 5 gill slits • Long and precede the pectoral fin • Over 3,000 serrated teeth at any given time

  5. Life Cycle • Fertilization occurs internally • Great White Sharks are ovoviviparous • Fertilized and hatched internally • Aplacentalviviparity • 2 – 10 pups • 3 – 5 feet in length • Up to 40 pounds • Self-sufficient • WILL BE EATEN

  6. Life Cycle • Male sexual maturation: 9 – 10 years • Females sexual maturation: 14 – 16 years • Life span estimated approximately 30 years • Up to 100 years?

  7. California, Mid-Atlantic States in the U.S., Southern • Africa, Eastern Australia, and New Zealand • Remains near surface • Temperate waters, infrequently found in tropics

  8. Feeding Behavior YouTube - Great White Sharks

  9. Why Respect and Protect? • Over years, has media has magnified reputation • Key predator in marine ecosystems • Comparable to Yellowstone’s Gray Wolf • Because it's a top predator it plays an important role in reducing the numbers of weak and unhealthy prey; thus, it helps to maintain a healthy stock of prey food • If a top predator is removed from an eco-system, then there is a decrease in all the species in the eco-system rather than an increase in the prey food • Tourist attraction

  10. Why Respect and Protect? • 50% decline in Australian waters • Shark fin soup • Leather • By-catch • Black Market • Tens of thousands of dollars • Granted “Protected Status” in Australia, California, and South Africa

  11. Interesting Facts • Some scientists classify Great Whites as endothermic organisms, like human beings, because they are able to maintain certain parts of their body (swimming organs, stomach, brain) above the water temperature • In the Fall, some females migrate to the warmer waters of California to give birth • Cannot swim backwards • Intrauterine cannibalism occurs between the unborn pups • After gorging itself, a Great White Shark can live for up to two months without having to consume another meal

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