# What Do Bull Sharks Eat?

> What bull sharks eat: Carnivore, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Warm coastal seas, rivers, and lakes.

- **Species:** Bull Shark (*Carcharhinus leucas*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Carnivore
- **Habitat:** Warm coastal seas, rivers, and lakes
- **Lifespan:** 16–25 years
- **Top speed:** Up to 40 km/h (25 mph) in bursts
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bull-shark/what-do-bull-shark-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bull-shark/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a stocky, aggressive coastal shark famous for swimming far up rivers and into freshwater lakes. It grows up to about 3.5 m (11 ft) long and 130 kg (290 lb), and hunts a wide range of prey in warm seas, rivers, and estuaries. Fast in short bursts, it can reach around 40 km/h (25 mph) and lives 16 to 25 years. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Size and appearance

Bull sharks are heavy-bodied and muscular, typically 2 to 3.5 m (7 to 11 ft) long and weighing up to about 130 kg (290 lb), with females larger than males. They are grey above and pale below, with a short, broad, rounded snout that gives them their name and their pugnacious look. Their small eyes suggest they often rely on other senses in the murky water they favour. Powerful jaws and stout teeth let them tackle unusually large and varied prey for their size.

## Help protect the Bull Shark

Ocean wildlife is under mounting pressure from overfishing, bycatch and plastic pollution.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bull-shark/what-do-bull-shark-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.