Sharks The Animal Answer Guide

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  • and Chimaeras 1 Introducing Sharks, Skates, Rays,

    • What is this book about?

    • What are sharks and how are they classified?

    • How many kinds of sharks are there?

    • How did sharks get their name?

    • Where do sharks live?

    • When did sharks evolve?

    • What are the largest and smallest sharks alive today?

    • What is the fastest shark?

    • What is the largest shark that ever lived?

    • Where can I find fossil shark teeth?

      • or an ocean? How can you tell whether a fossil shark lived in a river, a lake,



    • Why are sharks important?

    • Why should people care about sharks?



  • 2 Form and Function of Sharks

    • What is the metabolism of a shark?

    • Are sharks cold-blooded or warm-blooded?

    • What kind of teeth do sharks have?

    • How many teeth does a shark have during its lifetime?

    • Do a shark’s teeth change during its life?

    • What is the skeleton of a shark made of?

    • Does a shark have senses like ours?

    • How good is a shark’s sense of smell?

    • How well can sharks hear?

    • How well can sharks see?

    • Can sharks see color?

    • How do sharks detect electric fields?

    • Do sharks sleep?

    • Do sharks have scales like other fishes?

    • How do sharks breathe under water?

    • Must a shark keep swimming to breathe?

    • How do sharks swim?

    • How do a shark’s fins function during swimming?

    • How long can a shark live out of water?

    • Why do hammerhead sharks have such strange heads?

    • What kind of brains do sharks have?

    • How large is a shark’s brain?



  • 3 Shark Colors

    • bottom? Why are so many sharks dark on top and light on the

    • Which sharks aren’t countershaded?

    • Are any sharks colorful?

    • Are any sharks colorless?

    • What causes the different colors of sharks?

    • Is there a reason for the color patterns of sharks?

    • What color are a shark’s eyes?

    • Do a shark’s colors change as it grows?

      • different seasons? Do a shark’s colors change at different times of the day or in

      • species? Is there much geographic variation in the color of a shark





  • 4 Shark Behavior

    • Are sharks social?

    • Do sharks form schools?

    • Can sharks tell one another apart?

    • Do sharks fight?

    • Are any sharks territorial?

    • Do sharks socialize with other kinds of animals?

      • sticking out? Why do sharks swim at the surface with their dorsal fins



    • How smart are sharks?

    • Do sharks use tools?

    • Do sharks play?

    • Do sharks talk?

    • What is “tonic immobility”?



  • 5 Shark Ecology

    • Do sharks migrate?

    • How do sharks navigate?

    • How many shark species live in rivers and lakes?

    • How far down in the ocean do sharks live?

    • Which geographic regions have the most species of sharks?

    • Which sharks are most or least abundant?

    • When during the day are sharks most active?

    • How do sharks survive the winter?

    • How do sharks survive droughts?

    • Are there sharks in the desert?

    • Do sharks have any enemies other than humans?

    • How do sharks avoid predators?

    • Do sharks get sick?

    • Do sharks have parasites?

    • How can you tell if a shark is sick?

    • Are sharks good for the environment?



  • 6 Reproduction and Development

    • How do sharks reproduce?

    • Do sharks lay eggs or do they give birth to live young?

    • How long do female sharks hold young in their body?

      • case? How long does it take for a baby shark to hatch from an egg



    • Where do sharks lay their egg cases or give birth?

      • and places every year? Do sharks give birth or lay their egg cases at the same times



    • How many young does a mother shark produce?

    • How often do sharks reproduce?

    • What is a baby shark called?

    • Are all the baby sharks in a mother full siblings?

    • Do sharks care for their young?

    • How is the sex of a shark determined?

    • Can sharks reproduce asexually?

    • Is there such a thing as a hybrid shark?

    • Do male and female sharks live together?

    • At what size and age do sharks mature?

    • How long do sharks live?

    • How fast do sharks grow?

    • How can you tell the age of a shark?



  • 7 Foods and Feeding

    • What do sharks eat?

    • How do sharks find food?

    • How do sharks catch their prey?

    • When do sharks feed most?

    • How often must sharks feed?

    • Do sharks chew their food?

    • How do sharks eat hard-shelled animals?

    • Do sharks store their food?

    • Must a shark turn on its back to feed?

    • Do sharks cooperate with one another to feed?



  • 8 Sharks and Humans

    • Do sharks make good pets?

    • What is the best way to take care of a pet shark?

    • Are any medicines made from sharks?

    • Do sharks feel pain?

    • What should I do if I find an injured shark?

    • What should I do if I find a shark that looks diseased?

    • How can I see sharks in the wild?

    • How can I see sharks in captivity?



  • 9 Shark Problems (from a human’s viewpoint)

    • Are some sharks pests?

    • Can there be too many sharks in an area?

    • Are sharks dangerous to people?

    • Why do sharks attack people?

    • How likely are shark attacks?

      • marks? Can scientists estimate the size and species of a shark from bite



    • How can sharks be repelled?

    • Do sharks have diseases and are they contagious?

    • Is it safe to eat sharks?

    • What should I do if I’m attacked or injured by a shark?



  • 10 Human Problems (from a shark’s viewpoint)

    • Are any sharks endangered?

    • Will sharks be affected by global warming?

    • Are sharks affected by pollution?

    • How are sharks affected by litter?

    • How do people catch sharks?

    • Why do people hunt sharks?

    • How are shark fisheries managed?

    • What is bycatch and can it be reduced?

    • What is finning?

    • Is there such a thing as shark leather?

    • Is there such a thing as shark jewelry?

    • What other parts of sharks are used by humans?

    • Are boats dangerous for sharks? Contents ix

    • What can an ordinary citizen do to help sharks?



  • 11 Sharks in Stories, Media, and Literature

    • What roles do sharks play in religion and mythology?

    • What roles do sharks play in Western religions?

      • writings? Did early philosophers and naturalists mention sharks in their



    • What roles do sharks play in various cultures?

    • What roles do sharks play in popular culture?

    • What roles have sharks played in art and literature?



  • 12 “Sharkology”

    • Who studies sharks?

    • Can anyone study sharks?

    • Which species are best known?

    • Which species are least known?

    • How do scientists tell sharks apart?

    • How do scientists study the movements of large sharks?

      • World Appendix A: Sharks, Skates, Rays, and Chimaeras of the

      • Conservation of Sharks Appendix B: Organizations That Promote the Study and

      • Information on Sharks Appendix C: Websites That Provide Useful and Accurate



    • Bibliography

    • Index



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