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Discover the fascinating world of sharks in this comprehensive guide. Learn about their characteristics, different species, life cycle, diet, habitat, and shark attacks. Explore stunning images and gain a deeper understanding of these mysterious creatures.
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Table of Contents Chapter 1: What is a Shark? Page 2 Chapter 2: Types of Sharks Page 5 Chapter 3: Shark’s Life-Cycle Page 8 Chapter 4: Diet Page 11 Chapter 5: Habitat Page 12 Chapter 6: Shark Attacks Page 14
Chapter OneWhat is a Shark? Sharks have been around for over 400 million years. You may not know this, but sharks are a part of the fish family. Sharks are good survivors. They haven’t had to change their bodies in over 150 million years!
Like other fish, sharks have a backbone (they are vertebrates) and they have fins to help them swim. Since sharks live in water, they have gills to help them breath.
It appears that sharks have smooth skin, however, their bodies are covered with scales called dermal denticles. Sharks are cold blooded (just like reptiles). They can also be born alive or they can hatch from eggs. Dermal denticles protect the shark from getting hurt.
Chapter TwoTypes of Sharks There are around 500 different kinds of sharks in the oceans and seas around the world. Angel Shark • Angel Sharks have an unusual shape and they blend in with the ocean floor.
Blue Shark • The Blue Shark can leap out of the water. Basking Shark • The Basking Shark is the second largest shark in the world. It can be up to 30 feet long and it can weigh up to 8,000 pounds!
Black-Tip Reef Shark • The Black-Tip Reef Shark is about six feet long. This shark is gray and has a black-tipped fin.
Chapter ThreeShark’s Life-Cycle Sharks can be born in different ways. They can hatch inside their mother’s stomach and then be born alive. Sharks can also lay eggs and then the babies hatch. They can also be born alive (without an egg). When sharks are born, they are called pups. Sharks can have from one to one hundred babies at a time (depending on what kind it is).
Adult sharks don’t take care of their pups. They do find a safe place to lay their eggs. The pups are able to hunt and take care of themselves right after birth. Depending on what kind of shark it is, they can live from 25 to 150 years. Shark Pup
Chapter FourDiet Almost all sharks are carnivores. The teeth of carnivores are sharp and pointy. Sharks eat sea mammals, such as, dolphins and sea lions. They can even eat other sharks. Most of the time sharks eat alone. Sharks have the most powerful jaws on the planet!
Chapter FiveHabitat Did you know that sharks live in both freshwater and saltwater all around the World? Most all sharks live in saltwater, but the Bull Shark and the River Shark can both survive in freshwater. Sharks have been found in the Mississippi River and the Amazon River. Bull Shark
Sharks that live in the ocean can be found on the ocean floor, the surface, or in between. Different sharks like different water temperatures. The Bull Shark likes warm water, the Blue Shark likes temperate water and the Goblin Shark likes cool water. Some sharks travel around to different oceans, while others stay in the same region their whole life.
Chapter SixShark Attacks Have you ever wondered how many shark attacks there are every year? There are usually less than one hundred shark attacks each year. More people are killed by bees and lightning than by sharks. Scientists believe that sometimes sharks mistake people for sea lions or dolphins.
Two –thirds of a shark’s brain is dedicated to smell. When sharks are getting ready to attack, they arch their back and throw back their head. This helps them to get a bigger bite. Before the attack, the shark swings its tail in short strokes so that they can swim faster.
Great White Shark There are twenty-five species of sharks that are known to attack people. The sharks that attack people live near the surface of the water where people swim. The Bull Shark is the shark that attacks people the most often. Other sharks that have been known to attack humans are the Great White Shark and the Tiger Shark.
Even though sharks can be aggressive, they are an important part of the oceans and seas of the world.
Glossary aggressive forceful energy arch to form into a curve carnivores a flesh-eating animal dermal denticles rough skin covering gills an organ that gets oxygen from water region a land area with similar features surface upper part of an object temperate moderate climate vertebrates having a back bone
Index vertebrates 1, fins 1 gills 1 dermal denticles 4 cold blooded 4 birth 4, 8, 9 Angel Shark 5 Blue Shark 6, 13 Basking Shark 6 Black-Tip Reef Shark 7 pups 8, 9, 10 life-cycle 8, 9, 10 carnivores 11 teeth 11 saltwater 12, 13, 16 freshwater 12 Bull Shark 13 Goblin Shark 13 shark attacks 14, 15, 16
Photo Credits Page 2: http://wallpapers-xs.blogspot.com/2012/10/sharks-desktop-wallpapers.html Page 3: http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=43&detID=1177 Page 4: http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/blog/category/482/post/1149/shark-skin-white-shark/ Page 5: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%EC%A0%84%EC%9E%90%EB%A6%AC%EC%83%81%EC%96%B4_(Japanese_Angel_Shark,_Squatina_japonica).jpg Page 6: http://www.sharkguardian.org/august-september-2012-update/blue-shark-2/ http://www.itsnature.org/sea/fish/basking-shark/ Page 7: http://www.pittsburghzoo.org/ppganimal.aspx?id=14 Page 9: http://vimeo.com/52472718 Page 10: http://larvalsubjects.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/the-question-of-flat-ethics/ Page 11: www.sharkobsessed.com Page 12: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/nmagrisso/breaking_illinois_stands_up_fo.html Page 13: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/sharks-circling-near-a-dive-boat-brian-j-skerry.html Page 14: http://news.discovery.com/animals/sharks/great-white-shark-bites.htm Page 15: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/photos/great-white-sharks/ Page 16: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/education/education.html
