Hey there! My name is Todd, and I’m a Great White Shark. Don’t be shy, I had a big breakfast, so I won’t bite.
My scientific name is “Carcharodon carcharias” for those of you who like that kind of stuff. I am 35 years old, so technically, I can be considered middle aged, because most of us live for 70 years or more. I am 15 feet long, which is about the length of a car. I exercise regularly, and weigh 2,300 pounds, which is average for a Great White Shark like me. Some of my friends grow up to 21 feet, and can weigh up to 4,500 pounds. In my opinion, I think they should go swimming more, and lose a few hundred pounds *wink wink*.
I live off the coast of Japan, and I’ll let you in on a little secret. I think Hello Kitty is adorable, and a lot of people here agree! Anyways, many of you may believe that I’m mean, and that if they meet me, then I’ll eat them. The truth is, shark attacks are quite rare. In fact, there are less than 10 per year. Uh, oh. Look at the time! I need to go get some lunch. Yum! There’s a school of fish over there. I’ll be right back.
Those fish were delicious! Now, where were we? Oh, yes! Let me tell you some interesting facts about us Great White Sharks. First of all, you may think that I am a mammal, but I am not. You see, I have gills just like a fish, unlike dolphins who are mammals. Next, check it out…aaah!
Look at all of my teeth! I have about 3 hundred that are separated into 7 rows. Just like you, I lose and regrow my teeth. The only difference is that Great Whites (such as myself) can go through 20,000 teeth in a lifetime, because we lose and regrow each tooth multiple times.
I’m going to play a game. I will go from this rock to that coral over there as fast as I can, and see what’s the fastest speed I can reach. Ready, set, go! Boom! 54 miles per hour! That was probably one of my best speeds yet! The highest a shark can swim on average is about 60 miles per hour, so I was pretty close.
My neighbor’s cousin’s friend’s sister just had 6 pups! They are adorable. Each of them are currently about 5 feet long, and will most likely grow 4 times longer by the time they grow up. An average female shark has 2 to 12 pups at a time. That’s a lot of babies to take care of.
Did you know that if you were to flip me upside down, it would cause me to become disoriented? That means that I would basically be hypnotized. I wouldn’t be able to move, but don’t worry, it only lasts up to 15 minutes. Please don’t flip me over.
Thanks so much for coming! I don’t get very many visitors around here, and I think you can figure out why. If you would like to learn more about us Great White Sharks, feel free to do some research. Well, that’s all for today! Ooh! It’s time for a snack!
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