The Megalodon was the largest shark and predator that ever existed. Its immense size and ferocious nature has certainly inspired hundreds of horror movies. With that said, this is truly one of the most amazing animals to have ever existed on earth. So, we will now look at 5 fun facts about the Megalodon that will certainly fascinate you.
1. Huge Appetite
The Megalodon certainly had a huge appetite befitting its size. It loved to eat giant whales, giant turtles, fish, dolphins, squid and more. Due to having such a large biting force (10 tons), there was very little that the Megalodon couldn’t bite into. It actually had the largest bite force of any animal that ever existed. However, what is interesting to note is that the Megalodon preferred to bite off the fins of its prey first so that it couldn’t swim away. Then, once the fins were removed, they would go in for the kill.
2. The Teeth Were 7+ Inches Long
The teeth of the Megalodon measured 7+ inches long, which gave this shark the nickname of “Giant Tooth”. To put this into perspective, the length of a Great White Shark’s tooth is only around 3 inches. The Megalodon’s teeth are heart shaped and serrated which helps them to bite through cartilage, bone and just about anything else. The Megalodon’s teeth were also called tongue stones by people in the 17th century. Sharks shed their teeth almost constantly and due to this, many of their teeth washed up on the shores and people collected them and you can still purchase fossil Megalodon teeth.
3. Worldwide Distribution
Next, Megalodon sharks were not just limited to particular areas and were able to swim just about anywhere they wanted, provided that the water was high enough to support their large size. This enabled them to eat and terrorize creatures all over the world. This is quite different from other sharks and sea animals which are restricted to coastlines and particular areas.
4. The Great White Shark is Related to Megalodon
The Megalodon’s scientific name is Carcharodon megalodon and the Great White Shark’s name is Carcharodon carcharias which shows that they both belong to the same genus. With that said, there is some controversy about this among some paleontologists.
5. Could Grow Up To 60 Feet Long
The bones of Megalodon sharks are relatively rare and there are only mainly the fossilized teeth to work with. However, in the last century, scientists were able to figure out the average size of an adult Megalodon. An adult typically ranged between 55 to 60 feet while weighing as much as 75 tons. To put this into perspective, a Great White Shark is only about 23 feet long at 3.5 tons. So, the prehistoric Megalodon shark was 20 times heavier than a Great White while being almost 3 times as long.
Conclusion
The Megalodon Shark is truly a wonder and is certainly one of the most magnificent predators this world has ever seen. With that said, we are certainly quite lucky that this apex predator is no longer roaming the oceans!
Leave a Reply