Sharks

Sharks don’t have a single bone in their body — their skeleton is made entirely of cartilage, the same flexible material that makes up your nose and ears!

A shark’s skin feels like sandpaper because it’s covered in tiny, tooth-like scales called dermal denticles!

Some sharks can actually walk on land for short distances using their fins!

Sharks have a super sense of smell! They can detect tiny amounts of blood in the water, sometimes as little as one part per million.

Sharks don’t sleep like humans. Some need to keep swimming to breathe, so they rest by slowing down and becoming less active. Others can “turn off” one side of their brain at a time, allowing them to rest while still moving.

Some sharks form friendships with other sharks and can remember them for years!

Some sharks migrate over 12,000 miles in a year — that’s like swimming from New York to California four times!

Sharks can learn to solve puzzles and navigate mazes, showing they’re much smarter than people once thought!

Sharks can be found in all of Earth’s oceans, from the freezing Arctic to the warm tropical waters near the equator!

Some sharks can swim in both salt water and fresh water!

Some deep-sea sharks live more than 8,000 feet (2,438 meters) below the ocean surface — that’s deeper than 25 football fields stacked on top of each other!

Some sharks have skin flaps around their mouths that look like seaweed, helping them hide from prey!

Sharks have survived five mass extinctions that wiped out most other species on Earth!

Baby sharks are called pups, and some species can swim as soon as they’re born!

Some mother sharks carry their babies for up to two years before giving birth — one of the longest pregnancies in the animal kingdom!

A shark mom can have anywhere from 2 to 100 pups in one litter, depending on the species!

Baby sharks are completely independent from the moment they’re born and have to fend for themselves!

Female sharks can store sperm for months or even years before using it to have babies!

Some sharks lay eggs (called mermaid’s purses), while others give birth to live pups!

Some sharks eat only once every six weeks, and can go up to a year without food if they need to!

Some sharks lose and replace over 30,000 teeth in their lifetime — that’s a new tooth every week!

Humans kill about 100 million sharks every year, while sharks only cause about 5-10 human injuries annually!

Scientists estimate there are more than 500 different species of sharks living in our oceans today!

Shark fins can sell for up to $500 per pound, making them a target for illegal fishing!

More people die from bee stings each year than from shark attacks!

Sharks belong to a group of fish called “elasmobranchs,” which also includes rays and skates!

There are eight different orders of sharks, including ground sharks, mackerel sharks, and carpet sharks!

A group of sharks is called a shiver, school, shoal, or frenzy!

Sharks have been around for over 450 million years — that’s longer than dinosaurs!

Some deep-sea sharks can produce their own light through a process called bioluminescence!

Sharks can sense electrical fields produced by other animals through special organs called ampullae of Lorenzini!

Shark teeth fossils are called “tongue stones” because people once thought they were petrified dragon tongues!

Some sharks have been known to eat polar bears that swim too far from shore!

The biggest shark tooth fossil ever found was from a megalodon and was larger than a human hand!

Some sharks have been found living inside active underwater volcanoes!