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Is a whale shark a mammal?

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People called it a whale shark because of its enormous size (like a whale), not because it's a type of whale. A whale is a mammal; a warmblooded creature that has lungs and breathes air, gives birth to its young and nurses them with milk produced by mammary glands. read more

« Reply #4 on: 14/09/2009 12:50:15 » well there are no species of whale called the shark whale but some species of whales are carnivorous eg. killer whales and belugas. mostly the mid sized whales. read more

Whale sharks are fish, not mammals. According to an article by Jennifer Kennedy on About. com, the whale sharks are the largest fish in the world. They grow as long as 65 feet and weigh up to 75,000 pounds. Female whale sharks are generally larger than males. read more

You may wonder why this fish is called a whale shark. Scientists have determined that it is a species of shark, because of its skeleton (composed entirely of cartilage), and its tough, leathery, scaleless skin. People called it a whale shark because of its enormous size (like a whale), not because it's a type of whale. read more

What Shortfin Mako Sharks have in speed, the Whale Shark has in size. Perfectly named, a Whale Shark can grow to be as large as a school bus! In case you’ve blocked out having to ride one or they don’t have them in your neck of the world, school buses can be up to 37ft in length. read more

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