Skip to main content

Porbeagle

Lamna nasus
The Porbeagle is a large shark that is found in the cooler and temperate waters of the world's oceans. They can grow to lengths of around 12ft, and weigh over 500lbs!

The name "Porbeagle" is a mysterious one. It's exact origins are unknown, though there are a few theories. One is that the name comes from Cornish terms for "harbor" and "shepherd." Another is that it is a combination of the words "porpoise" and "beagle," because of its porpoise like shape and dog-like hunting ability.

Like many large sharks, the Porbeagles give birth to live young. They have up to 6 at a time, which take 8-9 months to gestate. At birth the young sharks are already more than 2ft long! Also like other members of their family, Porbeagles are effectively warm-blooded. They have vascular counter-current heat exchangers in their muscles which allow them to store up all the heat that they generate through fast swimming. They can make their bodies warmer than the surrounding water, which is why they can live in such cold areas.

Porbeagles are actually listed as Vulnerable, and some local populations are Endangered. They have been hunted commercially for their meat and fins in a number of countries, and because they take so long to grow it is difficult for them to quickly repopulate. Also, even though they are very large, Porbeagle attacks on humans are very, very rare.

IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Temperate and Cold Oceans
Size : Body length up to 12ft (3.7m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Chondrichthyes -- Order : Lamniformes
Family : Lamnidae -- Genus : Lamna -- Species : L. nasus
Image : Citron

Comments

  1. I had always wondered about their name. (Ha! Not enough to look it up, I guess. One of those things you wait to stumble upon. So thanks!)

    I just found your site, and my little guy and I are going to have fun going through old posts until you get back from vacation.

    Cheers!
    Lu
    http://lusylvan.blogspot.com/

    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!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent