Of all the scary, mysterious animals in the world, sharks are right up there near the top! Sharks are the greatest predators in the ocean, and they are one of the animals that people fear the most. This fear for sharks comes from the shark attacks people hear about, and from movies where sharks are made to look very scary. Actually, though, sharks are not as dangerous as most people think!

Of course, you probably don’t want to dive in the ocean and try to become best friends with a shark, but most shark attacks only happen when a shark mistakes a person for something they are not (like a seal!). There are only three types of sharks that are known to attack people for no reason, and these are the tiger shark, the great white shark, and the bull shark. Most other sharks have no interest in people, and they pose hardly any risk to us at all!

The most distinguishing characteristic of sharks is their teeth, which are sharp and plentiful! Sharks replace their teeth all the time during their life, as old ones fall out and new ones move forward. This system helps the sharks remain active as hunters, and keeps them among the most feared predators in all the world!

Online lessons for kids: dinolingo.com