Critter Science
The Science of Animals
Blamed for hundreds of deaths over the course of recorded history, welcome the fearsome oceanic white tipped shark. These sharks are known for attacking humans by first bumping them then attacking. As formidable as they are though, they are also at risk of extinction due to
Ranked #2 of the top 5 most dangerous sharks, behind the great white, it’s the tiger shark. This shark can be found in warm, tropical and subtropical waters all over the world; with a concentration to
There are 9 known species of hammerhead shark. They range in size, with the great hammerhead shark being the largest. They are all dangerous and capable of inflicting a painful damaging bite! There have been no recorded deaths though due to a hammerhead shark bite to
The Port Jackson shark, aka the oyster crusher, is the largest of the Heterodontid sharks. The dorsal fins’ spines are one of the reasons for the common name, “Horn shark”. These sharks reside in the tropical waters of southern Australian, from south Queensland to Tasmania, and
There are 5 known species of stonefish, aka scorpionfish, that can be found in the coastal regions of the Indian ocean and the Pacific ocean. Some species of stonefish can even be found in rivers. These fish have been touted as the most venomous fish in the world! Stonefish
The sand tiger shark, grey nurse shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark, or blue-nurse sand tiger, among other names, can be found worldwide; including off the coast of Australia. These sharks are slow-moving ocean-dwellers and are predominantly harmless to humans. Being primarily
The leafy seadragon or Glauert’s sea dragon (Phycodurus eques) is a marine fish that includes sea dragons, pipefish, and seahorses. They are found along the southern and western coasts of Australia. These threatened sea creatures are now a protected species due
The blobfish is a species of deep-sea fish that belongs to the family called fatheads. They can be found only in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania. Blobfish spend their life at depths of approximately 2,000 – 4,000 feet where water pressures exceed 120 times greater than
There are only seven known species of sea turtle existing today and six of these are found around Australian waters. They are the green sea turtle, the loggerhead, the olive ridley, the hawksbill, the flatback, and the leatherback turtles. Most sea turtles are
Touted as being the most venomous sea snake in the world, it’s the faint-banded (or Belcher’s) sea snake. The Belcher’s sea snake, is an elapid (a family of venomous snakes) sea snake that resides in the Philippines: Visayan area, Panay, New Guinea, Gulf of Thailand,