Did you know that Epaulette sharks are small sharks that live in shallow reefs in the western Pacific Ocean, Australia? They have a special ability to walk in and out of water, using their paddle-shaped fins. Scientists have recently discovered that epaulette sharks are getting better at walking on land. They can now walk up to 30 meters in search of food, which is about 100 times their body length!
Even though these sharks cannot breathe outside water, they can survive a long time on land by slowing down their breathing and heart rate. Recent research shows that they can go up to 2 hours without oxygen.
Scientists think that epaulette sharks are evolving to walk on land better because of climate change. As the oceans warm, the reefs where epaulette sharks live are becoming more and more hostile. The sharks are using their walking ability to move to new areas where they can find food and avoid predators.
This is an example of how animals are adapting to climate change. Epaulette sharks are not the only animals that are evolving to walk on land. Scientists have also found that other animals, such as crabs and lizards, are developing this ability.
So, the next time you’re at the beach, watch for epaulette
sharks! They might just be walking by.