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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing southern stingrays. These large rays are diamond-shaped with "wingspans" reaching up to five feet (150cm) in length, though three feet (91cm) is more common. We say "wings" though really stingray wings are simply enlarged pectoral fins. Southern stingrays live in the west Atlantic ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico, from New Jersey to the northern tip of Brazil. Here they spend their time in reefs, seagrass beds, and brackish water estuaries ranging from the coastline to depths approximately 160 feet (50m) down, though they've been recorded up to double this depth. These large shark-relatives are part of the whiptail ray family, and this can be seen in their long tail which they can use like a whip.

Stingrays don't sting offensively, it's purely a defensive gesture to keep them safe from attacks from above. This is why it's important to shuffle your feet whenever you visit the beach and walk in the water. Stepping on a stingray could mean an unpleasant jab in the foot or leg, but shuffling usually alerts the animals to your presence and gives them the chance to swim away before they have to use their stinging defense. Southern stingrays specifically draw large crowds of tourists wanting to see these graceful giants in person.

Southern stingrays are believed to have site fidelity meaning they don't typically move away once they've set up an established territory. Most are solitary, though those in areas where they're fed squid to attract them for tourists often live in denser populations. Squid is not a typical menu item for the southern stingrays. When they aren't enjoying handouts from humans, these fish eat crustaceans, worms, bivalves, and small fish. They're most frequently active at night, spending their days burrowed beneath the surface layer of ocean floor sand.

These stingrays are gray, brown, and sometimes even olive colored across their back. They have small spikes along their spine and at least one stinger near the base of their tail. If this is used and broken off, a new stinger can grow back over the course of a few months. Southern stingrays suffer from habitat loss and they're often a large part of by-catch in fishing operations. Sometimes they're thrown back and are believed to survive this ordeal, though it can be stressful for the fish. As of this recording, in some parts of their range southern stingrays are considered near threatened.

Skates, which are fish related to stingrays, lay eggs. A skate egg may be referred to as a mermaid's purse when found washed up on the beach. Stingrays, however, give birth to live young. In captivity, southern stingrays gestate for five to eight months before giving birth to two to seven live babies. These little fish are already seven inches (18cm) wide at birth! It takes about five or six years for a female southern stingray to reach reproductive maturity, and they can live at least ten years in the wild, with the oldest known individual reaching seventeen years old out in the ocean. In captivity they can almost double this age!

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