And just absolute kindness.
I’m looking forward to today, tomorrow and hopefully coming out many more times with them to enjoy the wonder that is sharks.
If you have a bucket list item to tick, look them up here! www.getintothefield.com
#sharkbitez #sandbarsharkbestshark #doingitright
This course was part of what made this account happened and I've heard amazing things about the field work! The Garvin crew are amazing, lovely and inclusive, highly highly recommended.
#sharkbitez
Also one of the facts that blew my mind and first gave me the idea for this account!
#sharkbitez
Dwarf lantern sharks reach only 8 inches. They may be the world’s smallest shark. They're also bioluminescent! www.sharkguardian.org/top-100-shar...
Just a small fact here for ya. 😆
#sharkbitez
So like, don't freak, cause you're more likely to be harmed by like a selfie stick than a shark, but did you know there are more kinds of sharks that could be in rivers than just bull sharks? Cause I didn't til today.
www.sharkguardian.org/top-100-shar...
#sharkbitez
Honestly, I'm kind of amazed by this and will probably spend part of the day learning what I can, because its always amazing to learn something you've never suspected.
Until next time,
#sharkbitez
Female sharks have dramatically thicker skin than male sharks to assist with surviving necessary parts of mating, namely being bitten by the male shark in order to stay in proximity while mating.
Things that make you appreciate hands.
dlnr.hawaii.gov/sharks/about...
#sharkbitez
Coconuts may not migrate, but sharks definitely do! Sharks can range over huge areas. We don't know why all these migrations take place, so more study is needed. oneoceandiving.com/blogs/f/why-...
#sharkbitez
Both the swell shark and the chain catshark have biofluorescent abilities, due to fluorescent proteins embedded in their skin. They absorb blue light and re-emit it as green light. Who knew there were shark night lights? sharksandco.com/the-shark-th...
#sharkbitez
In the Pacific ocean, 3.3 million sharks are caught each year as bycatch. That means that these sharks are caught while fishing for other species. This is a huge part of why overfishing is more dangerous to sharks than any other conservation threat. australian.museum/publications...
#sharkbitez
Some sharks can evert their stomachs to clean them out. They can also do this with their lower intestine through their cloaca.
This honestly sounds like this would help with noro virus, but we don't have any data on that. www.mentalfloss.com/animals/fish...
#sharkbitez
Great white sharks are also separated genetically into 3 different groups that do not intermix between their respective ocean sites. The only recorded instance of gene crossing between these groups was a Indo-Pacific shark and North Pacific shark mix found in the Bermuda Triangle.
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Two species of shark have been discovered to have been living inside an active underwater volcano in the Kavachi volcano in the Solomon islands. These two species have adapted to be able to handle this unique environment. www.mentalfloss.com/animals/fish...
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Tiger sharks may act towards green turtles in sea grass beds in a similar way to wolves near delicate ecosystems such as aspen groves towards elk by helping protect them from overgrazing. It also helps seagrass continue carbon sequestration. (www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...)
#sharkbitez
Whale sharks may be the only shark able to say they have "eye teeth". They have eye denticles, similar in structure to the dermal denticles that make up their skin, that guard their eyes from damage instead of eye lids. sharkangels.org/the-protecti...
#sharkbitez
Land sharks aren't real, but sharks that can walk on land are! Epaulette sharks can walk on their fins between tide pools in order to get between them and hunt isolated prey. They also can survive with little to no oxygen. www.oceanicsociety.org/resources/oc...
#sharkbitez
Sharks may not sing, but they apparently do make noise. This year, to the delight and amazement of researchers, it was fond that rig sharks make clicking noises that are audible to scientists and other sharks. Can't wait til we learn more! www.scientificamerican.com/article/scie...
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And also, to add to their wonder, thresher sharks can both leap out of the water into air and generate their own heat, making them endoderms. They use a combination of upping their metabolism and muscle shivering to do so. factanimal.com/thresher-sha...
Evolution man.
#sharkbitez
Its a confusing name, but whale sharks are actually sharks, not whales. (biologyinsights.com/why-are-whal...) They're not mammals, don't produce milk and use gills to breathe, but also filter feed to make it confusing. Just in case you were bored on the internet today. #sharkbitez
For those of you who love Indiana Jones, do you know there's a shark that can use its tail like a whip? The thresher shark, which has a tail longer than its body, uses its tail to create shockwaves in the water to stun its prey. Take that Dr. Jones. factanimal.com/thresher-sha...
#sharkbitez
There's no vegetarian sharks, but there is one omnivorous shark. The Bonnethead shark of the hammerhead family, has been found with seagrass in its stomach and can apparently continue to gain weight while consuming majority seagrass in its diet. www.science.org/content/arti...
#sharkbitez
Sharks are ahead of us all, y'all. There have been two documented occurrences of asexual reproduction among female sharks. It can happen when female sharks are in captivity or there are no male sharks present.
Showing Jurassic Park how its done. www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-stor...
#sharkbitez
And if that doesn't make you go whoa, blue sharks have been known to give birth to as many as 135 pups in one litter. In case you needed to feel better about having your kids on winter break right now. www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-stor...
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If you've ever been pregnant, you may have sympathy for the frilled shark, which is suspected to have a gestation time of up to 3.5 years. Can you even imagine? These deep sea dweller better be getting a good push gift. animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/sharks/...
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Hammerhead shark heads, besides being devastating fashionable for their owners, are also super useful in making tight turns and helping pin down prey. However, unlike an airplane, they do not act like wings to provide lift. www.americanscientist.org/article/subt...
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Did you know that some shark species can breed together and their hybrid babies can reproduce as well? I sure didn't and I thought I knew a lot. www.scubadiving.com/can-two-diff...
For those who need their minds blown on a monday.
#sharkbitez
Did you know that one species of shark can fart? That's right, the ever popular aquarium resident, sand tiger sharks, is the only species of sharks known to be able to fart by swallowing air from the surface periodically. marinepatch.com/do-sharks-fa...
#sharkbitez
Did you know that Greenland sharks can live up to 400 years? That's right, there are sharks swimming in the deep now that are older than the colony of Jamestown. (www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/g...)
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There will be many more shark bitez incoming, as I get this up and running. If you have any great ones to share, please send them my way! I will be happy to find citations or look into your provided ones. The goal is to teach folks about sharks accurately and help spread the wonder!
#sharkbitez
We talk about how fast cheetahs are but there's many speedy animals in the ocean as well as the land. Short fin mako can go up to 45 mph while chasing prey. They're specially designed for this, along with others in their family. oceanconservancy.org/wildlife-lib...
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