Carcharodon carcharias:

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Carcharodon carcharias

• The Great White Shark

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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 Whites
• population numbers are decreasing are due
  to human exploitations, so it is our duty to
  protect and respect this creature

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History of the Great White Shark

• Carcharodon lineage
• Traced to Isurolamna inflata 65 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?
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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

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Life Cycle

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

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Life Cycle

• Male sexual maturation 9 10 years
• Females sexual maturation 14 16 years
• Life span estimated approximately 30 years
• Up to 100 years?

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

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Feeding Behavior

• YouTube - Great White Sharks

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Why Respect and Protect?

• Over years, has media has magnified reputation
• Key predator in marine ecosystems
• Comparable to Yellowstones 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

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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

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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