shark

Shark Jessica McClung

http://www.cites.org/gallery/species/fish/great_white_shark.html
 * Scientific name:** //Carcharodon carcharias//

Great white sharks are big they live in oceans they are a very cool animal. Most people think that sharks try to hurt them but they really don't try to hurt us but they just don't know what we are so bump us to see if they can eat us or bight us. They mistake surfers for seals and take a bite out of them.

Great whites average 12-16 feet long (3.7-4.9 m) long. The biggest great white shark on record was 23 feet (7 m) long, weighing about 7,000 pounds (3200 kg). Females are larger than males, as with most sharks. Shark pups can be over 5 feet (1.5 m) long at birth. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/greatwhite.shtml
 * SIZE**:

Diet The white shark preys upon a variety of fishes and marine mammals. Fish such as salmon, hake, halibut, mackerel and tunas are common prey, as are marine mammals such as harbor porpoises and harbor seals. However whites also eat other sharks, sea turtles and seabirds. They may also feed upon blubber from dead whale carcasses. Examination of the stomach contents of one great white caught off Deer Island, New Brunswick revealed three porpoises within it. http://new-brunswick.net/new-brunswick/sharks/species/greatwhite.html

Great whites are decreasing in numbers and are rare due to years of being hunted by man. They are a protected species along the coasts of California, USA, Australia, and South Africa. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Greatwhite.shtml
 * POPULATION COUNT**

http://www.yptenc.org.uk/docs/factsheets/animal_facts/great_white_shark.html
 * Lifespan:** Not certain, but probably 30 - 40 year