Nurse Sharks

Name: Nurse Shark
Scientific Name: Ginglymostoma cirratum
Length: Around 14 feet
Weight: Around 330 pounds

Nurse Sharks (not to be mistaken with the "Blue Nurse Shark") are subtropical and tropical bottom dwellers. They can be found around the Caribbean Islands, Brazil, Peru, and Baja California.

They are also nocturnal. They spend most of their days in larger, inactive groups of about 40 and then they become very active at night. By nightfall, these sharks become solitary, meaning they spend their active time alone.

Nurse Sharks have smaller mouths making their food sources more limited than say, a Great White. If they for some reason did come after a human, their bite wouldn't lead to a fatality unless you were too far from a hospital and you bled to death. However, where they tend to swim around and reside, is close enough to shore, you shouldn't have a hard time getting help in time.

Nurse Sharks reproduce in the months of June and July. They are ovoviviparous. This means their offspring develop in eggs inside of them, but also hatch inside of them. The typical size of a litter of Nurse Shark pups is between 21 and 29. And the newborns have a very spotted coloration, which then fades with age.

This kind of shark is not commonly fished for, but their sluggish movements cause them to become targets for local fisheries and local shark catchers. They are also sometimes caught for their skin and flesh. Their skin is tough and good for leather. Their flesh is often consumed fresh with some salt. Their livers are also another contributing reason to why they are being caught because their livers can be used for oil. :(

Nurse Sharks will not attack a human unless they provoke it. Sharks and their bites are similar to bees and their stingers. They don't intentionally hurt you. If they think you're bothering them or are trying to hurt them, they'll probably bite or sting. Although, sharks can also bite in a case of mistaken identity. I don't know much about bees, but I don't think bees mistake humans for anything else they may sting.

This is my knowledge of the Nurse Shark. Thanks for reading :)

Image courtesy of www.wikipedia.org