The Bull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
One of the few living species of shark that can live in freshwater, Bull Sharks are powerful, fearsome predators that are considered to be one of the most dangerous species of shark to humans. They are distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters and in various freshwater areas around the world, such as rivers and lakes. These sharks usually prefer shallower water and tend to be found closer inshore in water less than 100 ft deep.
Bull Sharks are stocky and heavily built sharks with short, blunt, rounded snouts and small eyes. They are often a gray color on their upper side and white on their underside with a white band along the side of the shark’s body. Growing quite large, they can reach up to 10 ft in length and can weigh up to 698 lbs. They are the most common of only 6 species of shark that can live in freshwater.
Most juveniles are born in freshwater areas and will grow and feed in these safer areas. They will travel incredibly far inland through rivers, lakes, and estuaries. Traveling hundreds of miles inland away from the ocean, Some individuals have been found 2,360 miles up the Mississippi River in Illinois and others have been found up to 2,610 miles up the Amazon River. Litter sizes of the Bull Shark will range from 1 to 13 pups with a gestation period of 10-11 months. Like many shark species, male Bull Sharks will often bite at a female’s back during mating, leading females to have courtship scars.
Bull Sharks are very opportunistic creatures and will feed on a variety of animals including primarily bony fish, but will also feed on other sharks, rays, crustaceans, mollusks, sea turtles, birds, and even terrestrial mammals such as deer and cattle. Human garbage has also been found in the stomach of Bull Sharks. Their very muscular, stocky build helps Bull Sharks take on large, powerful animals. When attacking these sharks will use the pointed and slender teeth of their lower jaws to impale their prey and then swing their head from side to side. Using the powerful, triangular, and strongly serrated teeth of its upper jaws to tear off massive chunks of flesh from their prey.
Considered one of the most dangerous shark species, due to factors like their sheer power in their jaws and bodies, their preference to shallow water where humans are more likely to swim, their ability to travel into freshwater, and their slightly more aggressive disposition compared to other sharks; wounds from Bull Sharks also tend to have a higher rate of infection. While this may be concerning, it is important to remember that more people are killed by cows, dogs, and lightning than sharks. Furthermore, while sharks kill less than 10 people yearly, humans kill 100 million sharks every year, an average of 274,000 per day.