Sunday, March 1, 2009

Ugly and Deadly: The Piranha


A piranha or piraña is a member of a family of omnivorous freshwater fish which live in South American rivers. In Venezuelan rivers they are called caribes. They are known for their sharp teeth and a voracious appetite for meat.

Fast Facts
Diet: Carnivore; mainly feeding on crabs, small fish, lizards, mammals and insects.
Size: 15-25 cm, although some have been reported up to 43 cm
Weight: Up to 5 lbs.
Appearance: Shimmery gold and dark olive green, with red under-belly. Most distinctive feature is their single row of sharp teeth in both jaws; the teeth are tightly packed and interlocking (via small cusps) and used for rapid puncture and shearing.
Did you know? Piranha bodies are covered in so many tastebuds that when something floats passed, they can tell if a creature is worth eating or not.

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