Shark Stuffed Animal & Facts

by Topsy@Waygood

While a shark stuffed animal might not be your first choice of soft toy for your child, don't be surprised if that's the one they really want. After all, a shark stuffed animal comes complete with teeth (the plush kind) if you choose to go with the Great White species, making it all the more authentic as compared to a less imposing type of soft toy a teddy bear, for example.

A recent study published in the Journal of Zoology, claims that great white sharks uses geographic profiling, an investigative technique applied to the hunting patterns. Researchers discovered that while sharks do kill for food, when they do, they stalk their prey while remaining out of sight. Geographic profiling is the first time such a technique has ever been used on a marine species. 340 great white shark attacks were observed of Cape fur seals, located off Seal Island in False Bay, South Africa. With the use of radar charts, researchers were able to plot the attack sites so they could look at the distribution of the encounters and also take note of where the attacks began and ended. Normally, the frequency of the attacks should have been related to how dense the population of the prey was with sharks lying in wait where most of the seals gathered. The results of the study, however, showed that was not the case. Instead, sharks were positioning themselves close to 328 feet from the island at water depths of about 82 feet. It is believed that the rational behind this technique was that it struck just the right balance for the shark to be close enough to attack but still not close enough to be detected [by the seals]. Large adult sharks also had very specific points from which they anchored themselves which is where they would launch their attacks repeatedly. Younger, smaller sharks, however, did not show the same focus.

Researchers believe the differences between older and younger sharks' attack strategies was based on refined hunting skills which they could only learn over time - older sharks would have the advantage and as a result could dominate younger sharks and keep them away from the best hunting areas. When it comes to hunting for seals, sharks must be very smart in their attack strategies as seals can inflict serious damage on them.

If you're looking for the best possible great white shark stuffed animal, online stores have a great selection. Some have a 3 foot great white shark stuffed animal that comes with an open mouth displaying lots of 'sharp' teeth a terrific replica of the real thing.

Angeline Hope is a collector of large plush stuffed animals. You can view a selection of large plush stuffed animals including shark stuffed animals at MyBigPlush.

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Shark Stuffed Animal & Shark Facts

by Old Shoe Woman

For the kid who has everything, why not opt for a shark stuffed animal the next time a birthday, or holiday rolls around? Unlike the real thing, a child can get up close and personal with a shark stuffed animal. And the bigger it is, the more lifelike it will feel. Online stores have a very realistic looking three foot length shark stuffed animal, that is sure to delight any child. In addition, their shark stuffed animal is just soft enough to act as giant pillow for the child that insists they can't ever part with their beloved plush toy, even when they're sleeping.

Sharks have been around for about 400 million years swimming in oceans long before dinosaurs arrived. In the last 150 million years, they've had little need to evolve since they are such great survivors. Their most prominent feature, are their teeth - in an entire lifetime, a shark may grow and use more than 20,000 of them. In addition, if a shark breaks and loses a tooth, it's immediately replaced with another that sits at the back of their mouth for just such an occasion.

Every species of shark has different shaped teeth (depending on their diet) which makes them easy to identify. A shark's jaw is the most powerful of all animals and unlike most animals, both its upper and lower jaw moves. When they bite, a shark uses its lower jaw first, and then the upper jaw. They tear at their food while shaking their head back and forth and then swallow the food whole. Shark stuffed animals are exceptionally designed so as to replicate a sharks prominent teeth. Without them, shark stuffed animals just wouldn't be the same.

With the exception of the whale and basking shark, all sharks are meat eaters and dine on fish, seals dolphins, turtles, and seagulls. When they feed, sharks do so alone. Feeding has been known to attract other sharks to the 'party' where sometimes a feeding frenzy will begin. The once species of shark, however, that you won't see involved in feeding frenzies, is the great white.

If nothing else, shark stuffed animals can help a child to better understand these often misunderstood predators of the sea. It's true that they're frightening, but at the same time, they're also incredibly interesting.

Angeline Hope is a collector of sea stuffed animals. You can view a big selection of sea stuffed animals including shark stuffed animal toys at MyBigPlush.

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