Hammerhead Shark
The hammerhead shark has quite a unique look. Named for its wide, flat head that resembles the top of a hammer, this creature roams the warm waters of the coastlines. The design of their head gives the hammerhead incredible swimming abilities. The eyes are spaced apart, giving better vision. They grow to a size of about 11 feet long. The feed on fish, other small sharks, and stingrays.
Hammerheads are a very aggressive species of shark. There are 9 types of hammerheads, 3 that pose a danger to humans. They are the scalloped, great, and smooth hammerheads. In general hammerheads will not attack humans. In June of 2006, it was reported that a possible 10th type of hammerhead was discovered in South Carolina. Further identification testing needs to be completed before it can be determined if it actually is a unknown species or a known species with some variations.
Hammerheads reproduce at a very fast rate, among the fastest of all sharks. They have pups every year, and a litter generally consists of 20-40 pups. Mating for this shark is violent. The males bite the female continuously until she obliges to his wishes. The eggs grow inside the hammerhead, very similar to the process for a mammal. The gestation period is 10-12 months. The babies are left alone to survive immediately after they are born. In 2006, a 1,200 hammerhead was found in Florida. Further investigating found she was pregnant with 55 pups!
Their pregnancy is not the only unique feature the hammerhead has that makes it very different from other species of sharks. Hammerheads often have very large schools, averaging 500 or more. Almost all other species of sharks do not have schools. It is not known why hammerheads prefer to. They only school during the day. At night, each goes their own way to hunt for food. It is also believed they separate to keep from being seen as a late night food buffet.
