Nurse Shark

Imagine a shark that's more like a slow-moving couch potato than a speedy hunter! That's the nurse shark. They have long, chubby bodies and a super long tail. Their skin is rough, like sandpaper. Nurse sharks are usually found snoozing in warm, shallow waters, often piled up with other nurse sharks. They look a bit like a big, grey, bumpy log resting on the sand or rocks.

Nurse sharks love sunny, tropical places. You can find them swimming around coral reefs and rocky areas in the western Atlantic Ocean, from Florida all the way down to Brazil. They also live in the eastern Pacific Ocean, near places like Mexico and Peru. They prefer to stay close to the bottom, where they can find tasty snacks and cozy spots to take a nap.

Even though they look a bit lazy, nurse sharks are carnivores, which means they eat meat! Their favorite foods are small fish, crabs, shrimp, and even sea snakes. They have tiny little teeth, but they don't really chew their food. Instead, they use their strong mouths like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up their dinner right off the ocean floor. It’s like slurping spaghetti!

Nurse sharks are known for their super long naps. They can stay still for hours, sometimes even days! When they do have babies, called pups, a mom can have up to 30 pups in one litter! That’s more than the number of kids in a whole classroom. These pups are born with dark spots that fade as they grow up.