Sand Tiger Sharks By: Olivia Hindman

General Information Common Name: Sand Tiger Shark Scientific Name: Carcharias taurus Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Evolved 360 million years ago Number today: there are four species in two genera

Size and Habitat 100 cm at birth Can grow up to be 6.5 to 10.5 feet and 200 to 350 pounds. Habitat: Found from 6 to 600 feet deep including the surf zone, coral and rocky reefs, and the ocean floor. Can be found in temperate and tropical worldwide oceans except the eastern pacific.

Feeding and Breeding Habits Feeding: They prefer to feed on fish such as eels, mackerels, and smaller sharks. Hunt together to drive swarms of fish together making it easier to catch their prey. Breeding: Have one of the lowest reproduction rates of all sharks. Length of gestation is 8 to 12 months. The mother shark bears two live pupa at a time. She has two separate uterine chambers each containing multiple eggs. The egg that hatches first devours and kills all the other eggs.

Statistics and interesting information Life span: 15 years or more. No real predators other than humans. Facing extinction in the wild Not dangerous to humans. Only shark to come to the surface and gulp for air. Store the air in their stomachs allowing them to float motionless in the water to hunt prey.

What humans use them for These sharks are usually killed by humans due to their threatening appearance.

Quiz 1. What is their lifespan? 2. What do they eat? 3. What are they the only shark known to do at the surface? 4. Do they hunt alone or in a group? 5. How big are they when born?

Answer Key 1. 15 or more years 2. eels, mackerels, and smaller sharks 3. Gulp in air 4. Hunt in a group 5. 100 cm at birth