ok...im an animal lover and im doing ma best to know as much as possible about animals all over the world, next on my list is sharks...and i checked out you tube.....really scarry...im intrested about attacks .....keep imagining myself in that situation, by i dont want that to happen to me in real life....ok...if anyone can help me i want a site or a book that would teach me all about them , their behavior and attacks.....oh and i heard that only two species hunt man for food ...not mistaken identity.....i wanna know which....
2007-09-01 00:01:10 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Well to start no shark hunts man for food, also you really do not have to worry about being attacked by a shark as long as you are smart about when and where you swim.
For example you do not want to go swimming in an area where people are fishing or when it is dawn or dusk. You do not want to wear any objects that would reflect light (rings, necklace, etc) or wear a swimsuit that has high contrasting colors.
The problem is that the media LOVES shark attacks because it always stirs up business for them (buying the newspaper, watching tv). However when push comes to shove they are making something out of nothing. Last year less than 100 people out of the ENTIRE world were attacked by sharks, keeping in mind that those attacks could be anything from death, loss of limb to a tiny stractch that does not even need stitches. To boot that less than 100 number also includes provoked attacks, for example someone swimming with sharks and baiting them to get photos who gets bit... or someone who was fishing, caught a shark and was bit trying to get the shark off the line. Nonetheless only 4 people were killed last year due to sharks.
It is just that the media, movies, etc has made them out ot be something they really are not. Do not get me wrong, they can be extremely deadly and dangerous, but like I said as long as you are smart you will be fine.
If you are looking for a really good webpage the ISAF (international shark attack file) is an EXCELLENT source for data and general stats and info.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/sharks.htm (there link is about halfway down the page).
As far as books go, there are a ton. My two personal faves are The Devils Teeth and Close to Shore.
2007-09-01 05:42:19 · answer #1 · answered by The Cheshire 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No sharks specifically hunt Man. Sharks are opportunistic feeders and if excited will attack anything that resembles food.
The most dangerous shark in Australian waters is the Great White Shark. These sharks habitually eat seals and unfortunately people in wetsuits ( particularly 3/4 suits) and surfers on boards look a hell of a lot like a seal from underneath.
In most attacks the shark takes a bite to taste and goes away but the size of the shark means that the taste is a big one and is often fatal.
There have been a number of books printed on shark attacks but a lot of them are sensationalist.
Search for books by Rod & Valerie Taylor or Ben Cropp.
2007-09-01 07:25:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The two that claim is talking about are the bull and the tiger. However that is one of those claims that has no research and little truth behind it. It comes from the belief that every attack on man from a great white is mistaken identity and that in at least one case the bull deliberatly began hunting people in a New England river (It was caught after killing three people). And that the tiger feeds on a wider variety of food and is more aggressive than the great white.
The truth is there is no way to test the validity of this idea. We are not the normal prey of any shark.
2007-09-01 08:04:31 · answer #3 · answered by Jeff Sadler 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
there's no proof that sharks hunt people for food.
2007-09-01 11:00:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋