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What Are the Growing Stages of a Bull Shark?

Bull sharks get their name from their bull-like stocky shape; large, flat snouts; and unpredictable, aggressive behavior. According to "National Geographic," most experts consider bull sharks to be the most dangerous shark in the world. They prefer to live in warm, shallow coastal waters, which are incidentally locations where people enjoy swimming. Bull sharks generally mate in the summer and birth their free-swimming pups late the following spring.

Birth
- At birth, bull sharks are about 22 to 32 inches long. Newborn bull shark pups' survival at sea is slim at first, which is why expectant mothers typically travel to remote and safer freshwater areas to give birth.
Juvenile Size
- Compared to other sharks, bull shark pups show fairly slow growth rates and typically grow in short, yet steady increments. Juvenile bull sharks vary in size -- between 3 and 5 feet long -- and do not reach their full length and weight until the end of their 14- to 20-year life spans.
Mature Male Size
- Males reach their full size and sexual maturity at the age of 14 or 15 years old. At a full size of 5 to 7 feet long, male bull sharks are almost always smaller than female bull sharks.
Mature Female Size
- Fully mature female bull sharks grow up to be between 6 and 7 1/2 feet long. According to the ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research, the largest a mature female can grow up to be is about 11 feet long. Female bull sharks become sexually mature at around 18 years old. Their reproductive habits are remarkably similar to humans in that they grow their young in the womb, rather than lay eggs. A pregnant bull shark can birth up to 13 pups in one litter.

Animals & Science