Bull shark, bull shark, bluntnose shark, tubhead shark - Carcharhinus leucas
The gray bull shark is a truly unique representative of its family, which is guilty in more than half of the cases human deaths which occur as a result of attacks by predatory sharks. This is an unusually aggressive species, whose representatives are absolutely omnivorous, have powerful teeth similar in shape to the teeth of tiger sharks, and live in coastal areas near densely populated areas. Thanks to all of the above, the gray bull shark is rightfully one of the three most dangerous man-eating sharks for people.
Official statistics do not show real facts- the number of attacks significantly exceeds what is indicated in the documentation. This is explained by the fact that sharks live near the coasts of third world countries, India, Africa, and other areas where shark attacks are not widely publicized and, as a result, are not recorded. In addition, sharks of this species are much more difficult to identify than, for example, tiger or white sharks, so their attack may be recorded as an attack by “unidentified shark species.”
The bull shark also thrives in fresh water, which only increases its danger to humans. Functioning in such conditions is possible thanks to the shark’s ability to control the osmoregulation of its own body - it painlessly adapts to desalination of water with the help of gills and the rectal gland. The bull shark is found in the rivers of the South and North America, Australia, USA, Iran, India and many other countries. Cases of its habitat in freshwater lakes have also been recorded, in major cities Illinois, New Jersey, in central New York and even 4000 km upstream of the Amazon River, and one of the varieties of bull shark - Sarcharhinus nicaraguensis, Gill & Bransford - is a permanent inhabitant of Lake Nicaragua.
By the way, Nicaragua - largest lake Central America, connected to the Caribbean Sea by the San Juan River, whose length is 200 km. The sharks that live there are absolutely unique - they are the only species capable of long-term residence in fresh water. Most scientists, however, believe that Nicaraguan sharks are a variety of gray bull sharks and are not a separate species. The inhabitants of Nicaragua reach significant sizes - the average length of their body is 2.5–3.5 m.
Habitats of the bull shark and its varieties
Quite often, the gray bull shark is found in the Panama Canal, whose waters form a complex mixture of the waters of numerous lakes with the waters of two oceans. There are frequent cases of its appearance in Guatemala's Lake Isabel and in the Atchafalaya River, located 250 km from the sea in Louisiana. According to eyewitnesses, she was also seen in the canals of central and southern Florida, but such cases have not been proven or documented by specialists.
But in the countries of the Indochina region, including South China and India, the bull shark is extremely revered. Here, at the mouth of the Ganges River, lives a species that constantly feeds on human flesh: according to local customs, the corpses of people belonging to the highest castes are lowered into the waters of the Ganges, considered sacred, where they are devoured by bloodthirsty predators.
Australia is quite common in reports of shark attacks. Aggressive and incredibly voracious sharks periodically attack divers, and also swim inland along river mouths. And not so long ago in Queensland, an Australian city, a shark attack on a racehorse was recorded: sharks of this species can easily cope not only with humans, but also with larger mammals, thanks to their speed, strength and the constantly used so-called signature technique with a headbutt followed by a bite.
Bull sharks are often the heroines of ancient legends, and in some South African villages they are generally sacred.
According to scientists, the male bull shark is the most aggressive creature on our planet. His body produces a huge amount of testosterone, the male hormone that is responsible for the formation of this behavioral characteristic. This theory is constantly supported by practice: the sudden outbursts of rage to which bull sharks are subject make them rush at any moving object, which sometimes turns out to be the propeller of a boat motor.
The shape of the snout of this predator is flattened and blunt, the teeth are sharp, slightly jagged at the edges. Cubs of this species of shark are born with teeth, and if one of them falls out, the back one simply protrudes forward, taking its place. Only the back row of teeth is constantly growing, providing the shark with additional weapons.
Representatives of this species are unusually strong and fast, which makes it almost impossible to escape from them in the event of an attack - they torment the victim to the last, even if it inflicts painful retaliatory blows. In addition, their behavior, as a rule, is completely unpredictable - they can either instantly attack a swimmer or move around him for quite a long time with an absent look. The attack can be either a serious attack or a bite to investigate an object. An attack is inevitable if a stranger crosses the boundaries of the shark’s domain: it jealously guards its personal space and attacks anyone who infiltrates it.
A shark attack cannot be completely ruled out while a person is in the water directly, but there are a number of rules that will help reduce the likelihood of misfortune.
First of all, you should avoid muddy waters that are located near where rivers flow into the ocean. In conditions of poor visibility, the bull shark attacks any large objects. It is worth holding off on swimming after heavy rainfall: water currents can wash organic matter into sea waters, which is extremely attractive to sharks. Cases of attacks by bull sharks on people wading across the river have been recorded; extreme caution should be exercised in such a situation.
Do not be deceived by the apparent awkwardness of a four-meter shark - it is capable of attacking a gaping swimmer or a pet who carelessly comes close to the water in a split second. In pursuit of prey, a shark can develop incredible speed, and it is also extremely tenacious and resilient.
Thus, representatives of the gray bull shark can be found not only in the waters of all oceans, but also in many fresh waters.
What are the features of this unique predator?
He is enough big fish with a massive fusiform body. The shark's snout is blunt, its head is quite large, and its eyes are equipped with membraned eyelids. The dimensions of the front fin are significantly larger than the rear fin. There is a small cutout on the elongated upper blade of the caudal fin. The lower teeth are slightly narrower than the upper teeth, all of them have a triangular shape and jagged ends. Among other members of the family, the bull shark is distinguished by its characteristic head shape and blunt snout, due to which the shark received the name “blunt-snout”. The length of females, as a rule, is 4.5 meters, while males are slightly smaller - their length is usually 2.5 m. The record holder in terms of weight among already caught sharks is considered to be a shark with a mass of 316.5 kg.
The shark's back is gray, towards the abdominal part of the body the color smoothly turns into light. There are no spots or patterns on the body - the color is quite discreet. However, the color is affected by illumination - in shallow water the shark is almost invisible, but in muddy water she is especially dangerous.
Like any other shark, the bull shark reproduces by viviparity. During pregnancy, the female turns into a kind of incubator: she carries all the eggs within herself. Childbirth, as a rule, occurs in the summer - from May to August, as a result of which about 12 sharks are born, which are immediately left to their own devices. Young individuals reach sexual maturity at 3–4 years, before which they usually function in shallow water, hiding from enemies and looking for easy prey to feed on. The average lifespan is 27–28 years.
On English language The name of the shark sounds like “bullshark”, which literally translates as “bull shark”. The Spanish version is "tiburon cabeza de batea", which can be translated as "shark with a head like a tub." As for the Russian language, the most commonly used option here is the name “blunt snout” or “gray bull shark.” The shark received its rather unusual name due to its unpredictable and ferocious temperament, as well as its ability to live in fresh water: shepherds drove bulls out to water, and as soon as the animal wandered into the water, sharks attacked it and dragged it away as prey.
The first impression of a bull shark is quite deceptive - it seems slow, lazy and clumsy, but in pursuit of prey it acquires enormous speed and extraordinary maneuverability. Sometimes it, like the tiger shark, is called a “scavenger.” sea waters" As a rule, it moves quite slowly and even lazily around its area in search of moving objects that can serve as prey for it. Once the goal is chosen, to achieve it the shark applies strength and speed that can truly be envied.
The gray bull shark has a reputation as an unusually resilient predator - it has enormous endurance, as well as a low pain threshold. There are known cases when sharks of this species, already caught and thrown ashore, devoured their own offal - they have an extremely strong will to live, which is clearly expressed in the behavior of any individual of the species.
Adult sharks are usually absolutely picky in terms of food choice - they are omnivores and can feed on live fish and crabs, as well as almost any garbage. They can even eat carrion, and, what is the most terrible fact about them, even human flesh. However, the usual diet of a shark of this species includes large and small invertebrates, young cartilaginous fish, bone fish and dolphins of various sizes.
The most common victims of bull sharks among people are lone swimmers who swim, as a rule, in the morning or, conversely, late in the evening. The depth of attack is usually small - only 0.5–1 m.
The most notorious shark attack on people is considered to be an incident that occurred in American state New Jersey, located near New York, in 1916. Then, within a couple of days, four people died, and one was seriously injured. After some time, the alleged culprit of the tragedy was caught using a net. The bloodthirsty lover of human flesh was put on public display. It turned out to be not even an adult, but just a baby great white shark, whose length barely reached 2 meters. However, there is no certainty that the same shark was caught and destroyed, and many experts are even inclined to argue that only a gray bull shark could have committed such attacks. A fact in favor this statement is the water of the river in which the attacks were recorded - it was fresh.
The terrible tragedy formed the basis of the famous film “Jaws” - the first of its genre, which was centered around the deadly danger of sharks. However the main character this film has become big White shark, not ox gray.
Like any shark, the bull shark occupies a place at the top of the food pyramid and has practically no serious enemies that can significantly harm it. The only exceptions are killer whales and fellow whales that are larger in size than a specific individual. The greatest threat to this type of shark is man and his activities, and not only those related to the destruction of fish for food purposes (their fins and meat are considered a delicacy) - sometimes sharks are killed just like that, because of the potential danger they pose for people. In places actively used by humans to carry out activities in water or on the shores of reservoirs, sharks are constantly caught and killed, but we should not forget about the importance of every element of flora and fauna for the functioning of the planet - the uncontrolled destruction of any species, even such a dangerous one, will inevitably lead to negative consequences. The most important task is to search for ways of peaceful coexistence between humans and sharks, which would be as safe as possible for both species, and not declare sharks enemies of humanity, everywhere destroying their population, the restoration of which is very, very slow.
These predatory fish are widespread. They can be found off the coast of North America, South America, Australia and Africa. There are also plenty of them in the southern part of Eurasia along the coast. They are found in the ocean, often swim in rivers and calmly tolerate both salt and fresh water. There are no blunt-nosed sharks only in the Arctic Ocean, the water is too cold for them. Temperate, tropical and subtropical ones are much better warm places a habitat.
Appearance
Her body length is 3m, weight is 270kg. Females are larger than males. The shark has a huge, spindle-shaped body with a massive head and blunt snout. The tiny eyes are protected by a nictitating membrane. Vision is 10 times sharper than that of a human. There are 5 gill slits on each side of the head. The teeth are jagged, triangular in shape - large on the upper jaw, small on the lower jaw. Color: gray top, white bottom, which camouflages it well in the water. The dorsal fin is large, followed by another, but it is much smaller and is located almost at the tail. The pectoral fins are large.
Lifestyle
Snout shark has a bad character. She swims slowly and lazily in the water, attacking animals and objects. She has a very well developed sense of smell; she can smell prey at a distance of 5 km. It swims after it quite quickly, at a speed of 18 km/h. Leads a solitary lifestyle. Males have their own territory, which they aggressively defend. They are most active early in the morning and in the evening twilight; it is at this time that they most often hunt.
Nutrition
This is a real predator. It feeds on fish, dolphins and other sharks. Can catch a bird or marine mammal. Attacks everything that moves in the water. Does not disdain waste.
Reproduction
The female's pregnancy will last 10 - 11 months. She swims into fresh waters to give birth to her offspring. This an important event occurs from May to August. She gives birth to 3 - 11 live baby sharks. The length of one newborn is about 60cm. The mother does not care for the cubs and immediately leaves them. The baby shark has a mouth full of teeth from birth. She gets food herself, instinctively hides and defends herself. She has many enemies, these are birds, crocodiles and big fish. Young individuals will stay in the place of their birth for about 3 years, then they will go to the seas and oceans.
Shark and man
People need to be careful and vigilant. The shark often approaches the coastline, especially in Africa, and can attack a person.
IN wildlife The blunt-nosed shark lives about 15 - 25 years. People themselves eat the meat of this shark.
Class - Cartilaginous fish
Order - Carchirinidae
Family - Gray sharks
Genus - True Gray Sharks
The bull shark is also called the blunt-nosed shark. Belongs to the family gray sharks. Its closest relatives are the tiger shark and the blue shark. You can meet this predatory fish all over the world.
Habitat: Warm, shallow waters. A shark comes in deep rivers, such as the Ganges, Mississippi, Amazon, Zambezi, and goes upstream. Also found in small rivers. It can live in lakes flowing into the World Ocean.
Habitat
The bull shark does not swim away from coastal waters to a depth of more than 150 meters. Its usual habitat is a depth of 30 meters. IN Pacific Ocean found on almost all the islands of Oceania and on the west coast of the American continent - from California in the USA to Ecuador. The bull shark is not found near the southern coast of Australia. IN Atlantic Ocean can be found near the continents of America - from the north of the USA to the south of Brazil, and near Africa - from Morocco to Angola. IN Indian Ocean lives in the waters between South Africa and Kenya. Found in Persian Gulf, near the west coast of India.
An excellent habitat for these predators is the muddy water of the Amazon. A shark can rise 2 km up its current. Individuals of this species have been seen near Peru. The predatory fish also lives in India, in the Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers, and in Central America, in Lake Nicaragua, where it comes from the Caribbean Sea by river. Bull sharks are absent from areas where temperate climate, she prefers warm currents and carefully avoids cold ones.
The bull shark is a natural hunter and killer. Appearance
The name of this species is directly related to the shape of the body, because I associate this toothy predator with a bull because of its stocky shape. Female bluntnose sharks are larger than males. The average length of a predator is 2.5 meters, while average weight– 130 kg. Maximum length bull shark reaches 3.5 meters, and Weight Limit, which was registered - 315 kg. According to experts, the maximum parameters may be higher, but there is no evidence of this. The stories of fishermen that they caught sharks reaching a length of 4 meters have also not been proven.
Blunt sharks have 2 dorsal fins of different sizes: the front one is significantly larger than the back one. Compared to other representatives of the genus, these sharks have a longer tail fin, which is located lower. When this predator captures prey, it closes its jaws with a force of 600 kg. Among all members of the family, this is one of the highest indicators. The shark has a gray skin on top, its belly white. Due to its color, it is very difficult to see a shark in the water. She is even accused of attacks on people to which she has nothing to do.
Diving next to a blunt-nosed shark - where can you find an activity that will further tickle your nerves and play with fate? Reproduction
These predators become sexually mature when they reach a length of 1.5 meters. is viviparous; it gives birth to fry, the number of which ranges from 5 to 10. They are large in size, their length is about 60-70 cm. Pregnancy in sharks lasts 12 months. The female gives birth in river mouths and lagoons. At the age of 10 years, the blunt-nosed shark reaches its maximum size.
Behavior and nutrition
The shark usually hunts alone; they rarely go out in pairs. This species lives in small fresh and salty rivers and reservoirs, therefore it is extremely dangerous for humans and large animals and can attack them. The shark's behavior is aggressive and its actions are unpredictable. The level of danger is comparable to white and tiger sharks.
A shark must always be in motion, otherwise it will drown. The basis of the diet is various fish, small sharks, . It can also eat another blunt-nosed shark if it is smaller in size. Just like the tiger shark, it can feed on waste and garbage. It is believed that representatives of this species are responsible for quite a lot of attacks on humans, however, there is an opinion that the white shark is to blame for a significant part of them.
What is a bull shark?
Bull shark- This is a completely unique creation. It is this fish that is responsible for more than half of the cases of shark attacks on swimmers. It is this fish that is the only shark that can for a long time live in fresh water.
And it is this shark, with its disgusting reputation, that can be found in the waters of all oceans. Let's take a closer look at these phenomenal predators.
The bull shark, also known as the bluntnose shark, belongs to the family Carcharhiniformes. This creature received its strange name for a fish for its ferocious, unpredictable temperament, and for its ability: when shepherds drove their flock to water, bull sharks dragged large bulls into the dark waters.
Freshwater bull sharks
The gills and rectal gland are the tools with which this species extracts or secretes salt. There are known cases where bull sharks were caught 4000 km upstream of the Amazon. It is not surprising that there are bull sharks in the rivers of New Jersey, Illinois, central New York and other large cities.
This bloodthirsty animal constantly lives in the lakes of Mississippi and Nicaragua, as well as in the Ganges River. In India, by the way, when the corpses of people from the upper caste are thrown into sacred river waters, it is the bull shark that is the first to feast on their meat.
Watch video - Freshwater bull shark:
Bull sharks enter fresh waters to give birth to their young during the mullet breeding season. females give birth to 12-14 half-meter sharks, and they live in rivers or channels until they grow up - about 3-4 years. After this, the kids go to sea in search of larger food.
Bull shark - man-eater No. 1
Adults are not picky eaters. Their diet is usually dolphins, large invertebrates, mullet and other fish. Bull sharks do not disdain carrion, representatives of their species and, worst of all, humans.
Most often, lonely swimmers became victims of these fish, and they attacked bloodthirsty predators in the morning or late twilight, and, usually, at a shallow depth - 0.5-1 meter.
Bull sharks can change body color from dark gray to light, so even in shallow water they are not very noticeable. They are especially dangerous in muddy water.
There are known cases of people wading a river.
The victim is sometimes deceived by the apparent slowness and clumsiness of the 4-meter monster, but bull sharks are capable of attacking an unlucky swimmer or pet approaching the water with lightning speed. Tenacious and resilient, the predator develops tremendous speed in pursuit of potential food.
It was this species that served as the prototype for the toothy monster from the movie “Jaws.” These animals are the last link in the food chain; in nature, bull sharks have no true enemies except humans. People use the meat of young individuals, so this species is a commercial target. On average, a bull shark lives about 20 years.
Watch video - Bull shark attack on a person:
Bull sharks are endowed with extreme endurance and low sensitivity to pain. There have been cases where already gutted bull sharks, released into the water, feasted on their own offal.
Many legends are dedicated to these fish. In some villages South Africa Bull sharks are considered sacred. In general, bull sharks are natural born ideal killers. These carnivorous aggressors produce more testosterone than any other creature.
The snout of predators has a flattened, blunt shape, which increases maneuverability, and a mouthful of teeth provides a reliable weapon.
By the way, baby sharks are already born with a large number of sharp teeth, and if a tooth in front falls out, a new one does not grow, and the one growing behind the fallen one simply moves forward. Only the back row is constantly growing, replenishing the jaws of the fish with new deadly weapons.
In female blunt-nosed sharks, as in other species of predators, . Giving birth to bloodthirsty babies, the new mother, without looking back, swims away to look for a new helpless victim.
The bull shark is an aggressive predator that has the right to claim the title of an ideal and all-powerful animal. It is impossible to escape from the king of the oceans - and, swimming in a quiet backwater, aren’t you afraid of coming close to a predator that spreads death?
Watch video - Deadly blunt-nosed shark:
Of the family of gray sharks, the bluntnose shark is the most famous. It has several names: bull shark and gray shark. You will find out why it is called that a little later. This subspecies is found almost throughout the planet. Where the waters are warm and shallow, there will definitely be a blunt-nosed shark. It can be found in the Amazon, on the Mississippi, as well as any others that flow into the ocean. This shark is very dangerous for people, because it is one of the three most cruel man-eating sharks.
Where does he live?
It is noteworthy that quite often the bull shark enters rivers. Which is unusual for other species. It goes very far upstream, but in most cases does not descend to a depth of more than 30 meters. If we talk about the Atlantic Ocean, then it can be found near the coasts of Southern Brazil, the USA, Morocco and Angola. The original home of this predator is considered to be here. The blunt-nosed shark is found almost everywhere. It can be seen from the coastal zone of Africa and all the way to Kenya. The bull shark visited and here it can be found around almost all the islands. These sharks are only found along the southern side of Australia. Dangerous predator feels great in the muddy waters of the Amazon, and is very common on the Ganges River. The bull shark loves warm currents and tries to avoid temperate latitudes.
Appearance of a predator
The body of the bull shark is stocky, this is the simple reason why people call it “bull shark”. This also corresponds to the aggressiveness of this representative of gray sharks. Males are slightly smaller than females. The length in most cases is no more than 2.5 meters, and the weight is about 130 kg. At one time there was talk that fishermen managed to catch a female 4 meters long, but there is no evidence of this. It is noteworthy that the blunt-nosed shark, according to researchers, can weigh more than 315 kilograms. The number of dorsal fins is 2. Moreover, the first is somewhat larger and higher than the second. The caudal fin is notable for the fact that it is an order of magnitude longer than that of other representatives of the gray shark family, and it is also located slightly lower. The predator's jaws are clenched very tightly. The bull shark also becomes very dangerous because it is quite difficult to spot. This is due to the gray back, which is completely invisible, especially in muddy water. belly
About nutrition and behavior
This predator is of great interest to researchers because of its unpredictable behavior. In water, it is impossible to predict the actions of a shark. She may or may not attack a person. The same applies to large animals that happen to be nearby. Apparently, a lot depends on whether she is hungry or not. Today, the bull shark is ranked on the same level as the white shark in terms of danger. As a rule, a representative of this species hunts exclusively alone. It is very rare to observe a pair of predators foraging for food. No cases of pack hunting were found at all. This may be due to exceptional aggression during food production, directed even at weaker relatives, whom predators subsequently eat. However, the bull shark is extremely lazy and once again will not chase food, especially if it is full. The diet consists of juvenile sharks, fish and even dolphins. Although it rarely attacks the latter, because there is a chance of being defeated. This is due to the fact that dolphins rarely swim alone, and in a school they can kill a predator without any problems.
It is noteworthy that this type of fish is a territorial animal, this applies to males. They can mistake anyone who swims into their territory for a potential enemy. It's not uncommon for people to become victims of bull sharks simply because they swam too far or dived too deep. By the way, researchers are now talking about high level testosterone in the blood of this predator. Apparently, this is precisely what causes the individual’s excessive aggressiveness. Today we can say that there are much fewer registered attacks of the blunt-nosed shark on humans than unofficial ones. This is due to several factors: firstly, it is sometimes extremely difficult to understand whether it was really a bull shark or some other species, and secondly, in third world countries in most cases they do not attach importance to attacks by these predators, since there it is Not unusual.
Blunt shark - danger to humans
We can say with great confidence that sharks should be avoided in general, regardless of type and size. As for the blunt-nosed sharks, they should be feared most of all. In particular, due to the fact that they are very unpredictable and extremely aggressive against humans or any other creature. However, there are practically no cases of this predator attacking a group of people or marine animals. Therefore, if you go swimming, do not do it alone. Another important point- The blunt-nosed shark feeds at dawn and dusk. It is not recommended to swim too far or enter the water at all if there may be a predator in it, as there is a risk of becoming its prey. And in general, it’s definitely not worth swimming on the beach or in the river, where this cannibal could presumably end up. Moreover, this representative can be found in both salt and fresh water, the main thing is that it is warm. It always makes sense to swim as close to the shore as possible. Often, the gray bull shark, or tiptoe shark, does not swim too close to shallow water.
Conclusion
So we looked at what kind of predator this is - a blunt-nosed shark. Its danger to humans is extremely great, especially if it has Bad mood or she's hungry. Sometimes these predators are not averse to tasting the fry of other sharks own kind. By the way, it is worth noting that the blunt-nosed shark is a viviparous fish. This means that females give birth to fry. The length of babies on the first day is no more than 60 centimeters. Individuals reach sexual maturity at a body length of 1.5 to 2.5 meters. The number of fry born can vary greatly, so there can be either 3-4 or 10-12 of them. They are gestated for more than 10 months. After about 10 years of life, the animal reaches its maximum sizes. Today, the bull shark is a target for poachers, as its meat is highly valued.