Sharks are the magnificent creatures of the ocean. Whenever you imagine a dangerous and aggressive shark with an open mouth and sharp razor teeth, the first ones that come into your mind are Great White Sharks, Hammerhead Shark, and Tiger Shark. One specific shark that is more dangerous than all these mentioned sharks is the Bull Shark.
The Bull Sharks are skilled predators, known for their aggressive nature and adaptability to numerous environments. They live in both tropical and subtropical areas. These species can live in freshwater as their bodies do not carry as much salt as other shark species. The average measured size of these sharks is 11 feet. They have the most terrifying teeth, and these teeth allow them to grasp and chew the prey before swallowing it.
In this guide, we will cover the following outline:
- How Many Teeth a Shark Is Supposed to Have?
- How Many Teeth Does a Bull Sharks Have?
- What is the Type of Teeth of Bull Sharks?
- How Big is a Bull Shark Tooth?
- How Often Do Bull Sharks Shed Their Teeth?
- How Strong Do Bull Sharks Bite?
How Many Teeth a Shark Is Supposed to Have?
The teeth of sharks vary from species to species and depend on their habitat and diet. Their teeth play an important role in the hunting strategy. Normally, the sharks have 50 to 300 serrated teeth at a time; they have 5 to 15 rows of teeth in each jaw. They lose teeth and keep replacing them with new ones quickly. On average, sharks have 50,000 total teeth in their lives.
How Many Teeth Does a Bull Sharks Have?
Bull Sharks have 350 teeth which is more than the average teeth of sharks. They have 50 rows of teeth with seven teeth in each row. On the first row of Bull Shark’s jaw, there are 24 to 29 teeth. Using these functional teeth of the first row, they can attack humans easily. They also have non-functional teeth that are not used for hunting and feeding. The non-functional teeth are flattened and smaller; the Bull Sharks use these teeth to hold their prey.
What is the Type of Teeth of Bull Sharks?
The sharks can have different teeth depending on the species. Generally, sharks have four types of teeth; the details of different types of teeth are mentioned below:
1: Dense Flattened Teeth: The dense-flattened teeth are present in the Nurse and Angel sharks. These teeth are specifically designed to crush the hard shells.
2: Needle-like Teeth: It is the oldest and the most common type of teeth. They are present in the sharks that prey on the small fish. For example, Blue Shark.
3: Pointed Lower Teeth and Triangular Upper Teeth: These sharp teeth are present in the White Shark that hunts large mammals and fish; using these teeth they cut the meat of their prey with ease.
4: Non-Functional Teeth: These types of teeth are present in filter feeder species of sharks including Whale sharks. They use these teeth only for mating. They feed on zooplankton and have filters in their mouth to filter these small organisms from water.
The Bull Sharks have one type of incredibly sharp teeth: needle-like teeth. They are shiny white, but the upper ones are wide and heavily pointed while the teeth of the lower jaws are narrow and are less serrated. They use these teeth to easily pierce the animal meat. Their teeth are triangular and have wide roots beyond the gums. They have tiny serrations around the edges of the teeth.
How Big is a Bull Shark Tooth?
Normally, the teeth of a shark can grow up to 1.3 to 5 cm. The female shark has large teeth compared to the male shark. The tooth size of a Bull Shark is not as long as other shark species. The average size of a Bull Shark tooth does not grow more than 1 inch (2.5cm). The teeth in the front row of the Bull Shark are large and pointed and the teeth in the back rows are small and flattened.
How Often Do Bull Sharks Shed Their Teeth?
Sharks are unique in the way that they can have teeth throughout their entire life. If one tooth falls out, the other from the previous row takes its place. Some sharks lose approximately 35,000 teeth in their entire life. On average, the Bull Sharks can have more than 20,000 (functional and non-functional teeth) in their whole lives. They lose 1 tooth per week, and as they live 16 to 20 years, they lose hundreds of teeth. These species are known for their amazing ability to regenerate teeth within 24 hours.
How Strong Do Bull Sharks Bite?
Depending on the habitat and diet, each shark species has a unique bite force and set of teeth. Although the Bull Shark has a small teeth size, they have a strong bite one can never imagine. It is ranked the number one shark species with the strongest bites. They have an average bite force of 1350 PSI which is enough to rip the prey within seconds. The Bull Shark is also in the first 10 animals with powerful bites.
FAQs
1: Do Bull Sharks attack humans?
The Bull Sharks dwell in shallow water and have a high chance of encountering humans. However, the attacks of Bull Sharks on humans are rare as humans are not part of their diet.
2: Do all sharks have 300 teeth?
On average, each shark has 300 teeth, but the Bull Shark has 350 teeth, and the Whale Shark has 3000 chompers.
3: Which shark has the most teeth?
The largest known fish species worldwide, the Whale Shark has the most teeth. They have 3000 chompers and are known as filter feeder species as they use these teeth to filter the plankton and fish eggs.
4: Are there any fossilized Bull Shark teeth?
Yes, Bull Sharks are one of the oldest known shark species and have been on Earth for millions of years and their teeth are fossilized.
Bottom Line
The Bull Shark is one of the most aggressive known shark species in the water. The most powerful tool of the Bull Shark to hunt prey is their teeth. They have a total of 350 need like teeth at one time and have 50 rows of teeth. With these pointed teeth, the Bull Shark has the strongest bite force of 1350 PSI. Unlike humans, sharks do not have strong teeth and their teeth fall out easily. On average, the Bull Sharks shed 20,000 teeth in the entire life of 16 years. Although the teeth are not strong, they are sharp, they can cut the meat like a blade.
