Sharks VS Seals

numbers

100

how many different shark and seal species are there? (gib me two numbers)

There are more than 500 species of shark and 33 species of seals

200

What is the biggest fish in the world?

whale shark (can reach a maximum length of about 18 meters (59 feet). Most specimens that have been studied, however, weighed about 15 tons (about 14 metric tons) and averaged about 12 meters (39 feet) in length)

300

what's the longest time seals can hold their breath underwater?

2 hours
Dives vary per species. Harbor seals can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes. Elephant seals can hold their breath for up to 2 hours! How can they do it? Scientists found that seals and other marine mammals pack large amounts of oxygen into their muscles without “clogging them up.”

400

name the largest and the smallest seal species

The largest is the male elephant seal of coastal California and South America, which can reach a length of 21 feet. The Baikal seal of Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, is the smallest at 3.6–4.6 feet long, but some female fur seals weigh less.

500

how long is seal gestation period?

about 11 months

seals

100

what is another (scientific) name for a seal?

pinniped

200

name 3 kinds of seals

possible answers: harbor seals, grey seals, harp seals, leopard seals, walrus, ringed seals

300

what is the world's only freshwater seal species?

the baikal seal

they live in Lake Baikal, a freshwater lake in Siberia 

400

what happens to seals' brains when they dive?

seals' brain temperatures fall when they dive

500

when is international seal day?

March 22

sharks

100

how many (rows of) teeth do most sharks have?

Most sharks have between 5-15 rows, and the whale shark has a whopping 3,000 teeth in its mouth! But because those teeth aren't attached to their gums on a root like ours, they lose around a tooth every week.

200

name 3 kinds of sharks

possible options: great white shark, blue shark, bull shark, whale shark, hammerhead shark, basking shark

300

when did sharks first appear in the ocean?

Based on fossil scales found in Australia and the United States, scientists hypothesize sharks first appeared in the ocean around 455 million years ago

400

how many dangerous to humans species of sharks are there?

3

(the great white shark, bull shark and tiger shark) are responsible for most reported attacks on humans. Such attacks are very rare – in fact, for every human killed by a shark, two million sharks are killed by humans, with a quarter of the world’s shark species now at risk of extinction. In fact, you’re 75 times more likely to be killed by lightning than by a shark.

500

how many senses do sharks have?

In addition to those we have – sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste – sharks have two other senses, mediated by specialized receptors: electroreceptors and lateral lines. A shark's most acute sense, the one it may use to detect prey from the greatest distance, is probably its sense of hearing.

species name

100

is it seals or sharks that are called "sea dogs"?

both

Until the 16th century, sharks were known to mariners as "sea dogs". This is still evidential in several species termed "dogfish," or the porbeagle. While not related to dogs, seals share certain traits. They’re known to be curious, playful, and sociable. But remember, seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act which makes it illegal to harass, pursue, or take animals from their environment. 

200

what are male seals, female seals, and baby seals called?

Male seals are called bulls, females are called cowsand, and babies are called pups

300

shark or seal species?

Carcharhinus leucas

shark

Carcharhinus leucas, the bull shark, also known as the Zambezi shark in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers.

400

shark or seal species?

Leptonychotes weddellii

seal

Leptonychotes weddellii, Weddell seal, is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica

500

shark or seal species?

Isistius brasiliensis

shark

Isistius brasiliensis, the cookiecutter shark, also called the cigar shark, is a species of small squaliform shark in the family Dalatiidae

true/false

100

Sharks can go into a trance

When you flip a shark upside down they go into a trance-like state called tonic immobility. This is the reason why you often see sawfish flipped over when our scientists are working on them in the water.

200

Seals Can Be Hooligans

tru

In Gisborne, New Zealand, a resident elephant seal, named Homer, had an infamous reputation for hooliganism. He used to routinely overturn parked cars in town and once even knocked over a restaurant’s power supply box. Experts believed that Homer’s energetic ‘rubbings’ were actually ever-so-slightly misguided sexual advances.

300

"Earless" seals have ears

tru

"Earless" seals lack an external ear flap, present on fur seals and sea lions, but they still have ears present beneath the surface of the skin.

400

seals have a lot of natural predators

false

Due to their size and ability to defend themselves, seals have few natural predators in the wild. However, large sharks and killer whales are known to prey on seals.

500

coconuts kill more humans than sharks do

That’s right! Falling coconuts kill 30 times more humans annually than sharks – it sounds nutty, but it’s true! In reality, when it comes to humans vs. sharks, humans are the far more dangerous predators, killing approximately 100 MILLION sharks every year in fisheries. In comparison, only about five humans are killed each year as a result of shark attacks.