Jaws of the National Park

The National Park Services contains a multitude of property in which a variety of animals call their home. Some of those species occupy the land of our national parks while some occupy the water. Today, we’re going to take a look at the occupants of the water. We refer to these sea creatures as the Jaws of National Park. The Jaws of the national park are broken down into several categories based off of their characteristics. The categories we will be looking at today are the Sharks and Rays. Sharks and Rays help regulate the ecosystem and below will included interesting facts from the National Park Website.

Sharks of the National Park seas have roamed the over floor for a multitude of years. They are often referred to as living fossils. There are millions of different species. One of the interesting facts about the sharks of the National Park is that they are cartilaginous fish. According to the National Park website, “Cartilaginous fish have a skeleton made of cartilage, a material that is lighter and more flexible than bone.” This cartilage allots for the sharks jaws to be fluid and movable. The most common shark you’ll see in our National Parks are the Bull Shark. This shark has been known to swim in river and lakes.

Although Sharks are prevalent in our parks, a distant relative of the shark, Rays are also commonly found in our seas. Rays are known to be the birds of the ocean. There are approximately 300 species of rays that roam the ocean floor. Rays are known for their flat bodies and long tails. People often refer to them as stingrays due to the stinger locate at the end of its tail. This tail contains poison that could be deadly. Rays are carnivorous and they are also cartilaginous. They feed on small crab, small fish, etc. Contrary to belief, not all rays live their life on the ocean floor. According to National Park Service website, Eagle rays, manta rays, and devil rays fly through the water, using their pectoral fins like wings. Although most rays have stingers, there is an electric ray that put out 200 volts of electricity. This electricity stuns the body of other fish and intimidates predators.

Although Sharks and Rays are only a small portion of the animals that roam the National Park, these two groups of creatures are some of the Jaws of National Park.

 

Author,

 

Joshua B. Caudle