Skip to main content

Horn Shark

Heterodontus francisci
Today's Shark is a very interesting looking species-- it has a very blunt head, prominent ridges over its eyes, two tall dorsal fins with spines, and a sandy colored body covered in dark spots. It also happens to be on the smaller side, though not as small as yesterday's Shark. Horn Sharks can reach lengths of around 3ft.

You can find Horn Sharks swimming off of the western coast of North America, in a range that extends from Monterey to Baja. As juveniles they live in deeper sandy flats, and as adults they move closer to shore, swimming near reefs as shallow as 2m!

The adult Horn Sharks have small ranges, and actually return to the same shelter after each night of hunting (they are nocturnal). They feed in small fish and a large variety of benthic invertebrates, including squid, crabs, and sea urchins. Interestingly, Horn Sharks aren't the greatest swimmers, and are quite slow and clumsy. They often use their large pectoral fins to pull themselves along.

Horn Sharks are one of those cool Shark species that shows some sort of care towards their offspring. After mating takes place in December or January, the female will spend 2-3 months laying her eggs two at a time (layings are spaced 11-14 days apart). Each egg measures 4-5in long, is conical in shape and has spiraled flanges around it. The females will take the eggs and wedge them into crevices so that they are protected from predators (other sharks will often just lay their eggs and leave). The eggs take 6-9 months to hatch.

Horns Sharks are not normally dangerous to humans, though bites have happened due to harassment. The Sharks are kept and bred in captivity, and are sometimes hunted for their spines (which are made into jewelry).

IUCN Status : Data Deficient
Location : Western North America
Size : Length up to 3.3ft (1m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Chondrichthyes -- Order : Heterodontiformes
Family : Heterodontidae -- Genus : Heterodontus -- Species : H. francisci

Comments

  1. I'm not sure that that shark appreciates being described as having a 'blunt head'! ;)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Binturong

The Binturong ( Arctictis binturong ) also has an equally awesome alternate common name, the Bearcat! However, it really isn't much of a bear OR a cat. While it is true that it is part of the Feliforma suborder, it is not a member of family Felidae. Binturongs are a part of their own family, Viverridae, which is shared with Civets, Linsangs, and Genets. There are six subspecies of Binturong, all of which have slight differences based upon location and habitat. Binturongs range in body size from 60-100cm in length, (not including their tail which has roughly the same length) and weigh between 20 and 30lbs. Binturongs are nocturnal animals native to the rain forests of South East Asia. The species range spans through several countries including China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. They are tree dwelling mammals, and have fully prehensile tails that basically double their body length and can be used to cling to the trees or to grasp food. Binturongs are phe