ABSRACT
This research report is a brief explanation on how one of nature’s apex predators, the shark, and how the way sharks hunt and track down their prey. The hunting process for sharks will be explained in sequencing order starting from how sharks sense their prey, to how the way sharks stalk their prey, and what happens when sharks capture their prey. Also a brief explanation will be discussed about how two peculiar species of sharks, Hammer head sharks and Long nose saw sharks, about their body shape, their diet plan, and how the way their unique attribute and how the way they use this attribute to help these two breeds in their hunting game. Lastly, to all of those who are curious, the number one apex hunter of all time will be revealed in the conclusion of this research report.
Have you ever pondered about how amazing and spectacular hunting can really be. The vast selection of weapons and tools every organism uses to catch and force their prey to submit. Not to mention nature’s big game hunters like the king of the jungle, the lion. The nearly incomparable velocity of the cheetah. Even we, the human race, are big game hunters with our camouflage outfits to blend our bodies in with the environment, silence rifles to eliminate our prey without a sound, and many other tools we use for hunting.
Here’s something even better, what if you could hunt using electroreception. What if we could navigate at a velocity that is higher than a cheetah’s? Even a keen sense of smell could help give us an advantage in the hunting game. There’s one animal I can think of that has all three of these traits plus a bit more additional traits and is the big game, apex predator that I will be discussing about. Homed to the vast ocean it’s the...
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...ared to sharks, lions, or any other of the apex predators. However I understand that over time, this species has evolved a lot physically and mentally. The most important advantage that this predator has is technology. If you have not figured it out by now then I will tell you.
The number one apex predator is in fact the human race. Now does that fact take a “Bite” out of you?
REFERENCES
• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/hammerhead-shark
• http://animals.pawnation.com/sharks-catch-prey-7470.html
• http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/top-100-shark-facts.htlm
• http://www.omgsharks.com/types-of-sharks/common-sawshark.htm
• http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2005/06/how_do_sharks_find_their_prey.html
• http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-saw-shark.htm
• Woodbridge, Connecticut: Blackbirch Press, 1993
Where does the line of sport and murder intersect in hunting? Is it when the species being hunted is able to reason? Or is it when the species being hunted looks just like the hunter? In both movie and film, we see a man fight for his life and another going against all codes of ethics. While Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s film adaptation both have several similarities, the difference are also apparent in each respective media.
Since the beginning of time man has been hunting animals for food. Even before fire, man needed to hunt, because hunting was the only way to eat. At first man used things such as spears and rocks to kill its prey. As man evolved, they started using bows and arrows. Next came an early model of what we use today, the firearm. It is powerful yet easy to carry around. It puts the animal through less suffering and is a lot more efficient than previous techniques. Hunting was once a necessity, but now it is a tradition, passed on from father to son as a way to spend time together, enjoy the outdoors, and experience what our ancestors went through in hunting their dinner. Since it is considered a sport some think we are killing off the deer population, when in actuality, “While most other big-game species have declined with the spread of urbanization, the whitetail has been able to adapt to its ever-changing environment. Through the efforts of state agencies and conservation groups like Whitetails Unlimited, wildlife officials estimate today’s whitetail population to exceed 30 million” (www.whitetailsunlimited.org).
All animals under go a process of constant change in their physical appearance and in their behaviour. These changes take place over millions of years and the species that survive, do so because throughout their evolution they have perfected certain strategies that have enabled them to develop more successfully in the environment they inhabit. One such case of this successful development is the great hammerhead shark.
Predators are biologically different and can be very dangerous compared to the common criminal. Predators have minimal or absent autonomic arousal, no conscious emotion, no imminent perceived threat, no displacement of target, and no time limited sequence. Predatory violence is planned and purposeful with variable goals, primarily cognitive, and predators have heightened and focused awareness. Predatory violence is different from other forms of violence because it is not defensive nor an appropriate or normal response.
For centuries humans have survived thanks to the ability we have to adapt. One of this amazing activities that helped us is hunting. Unfortunately as we have changed throughout time, hunting has been degenerated into what’s called Trophy hunting. Have you ever heard this phrase before? Well if you haven’t, trophy hunting is when people kill any kind of animal, simply for keeping their bodies as a souvenir for the brutal and ferocious action they’ve just committed.
When many people think of hunting they think of cruel, evil people senselessly killing innocent animals. What they don’t realize is that hunting is a passed down tradition and a way for people to bond with others who share a love for the sport. There are two main types of hunting: bowhunting and hunting with a rifle. There are strict rules and regulations that apply to hunting, so someone can’t just go out and start shooting up all the animals. Before anyone can hunt, they have to pass a class and a field test in order to get their license. Without a license, you can’t buy tags. A tag is a paper that you buy in order to be able to kill an animal. You can hunt many different types of animals from birds to bears, but in this essay I will be talking specifically about big game. Big game is referred to as deer, elk, bear, and cougar. Although many people believe that big game hunting should be banned in the United States, they overlook the fact that hunting does more good than harm.
It’s a brisk November morning like any other day, but today isn’t any other day, today is the first day of firearm deer season. Shots are going off everywhere like world war three declared on deer. I’m wrapped in every hunting garment I own but winters cold embrace always finds its way in. My cheeks are rosy red and my breath was thick in the air. As I raise my shotgun and pull the trigger, my heart races and my hands shake. As I race after my prize, the sounds of leaves crunching beneath my feet are muffled by the ringing in my ears. I’m walking face to the ground like a hound on a trail and then my eyes caught it, my very first whitetail. I will never forget my first deer and the joy I felt sharing it with my family. Hunting is a passed down tradition for my family and friends. Throughout the world, millions of people participate in the spoils and adventure of the hunt. Hunting has been a pastime since the beginning of man. Hunting is one of those things either you like or you don’t like. It’s hard to explain the joys of hunting ,because it’s something one must experience for his self. Hunting does have laws and regulations you have to abide by. Are hunting regulations benefiting the hunter or the animal? This paper will discuss some of the regulations and laws, types of game, disadvantages of regulations, the pros of regulations, poachers, and ways to preserve wildlife and there habitat.
One of the previous papers in English class required the class to pick a paper to explore, this question will be concentrated on further in the synthesis essay. What evidence do scientist have to prove that prehistoric sharks existed? The reason behind picking this question wasn’t just to find proof that these monsters swam the seas, but to learn more about them from different resources. One of the resources that were used was a chapter in Angelo Mojetta’s book Sharks, called “ The Birth Of A Legend”. The other resource that was used for information was an article in Discovery Channels website called “ Prehistoric Sharks”. Sharks and Discovery Channel are the two resources that led to many other questions about their different, and similar views on prehistoric sharks existence.
Humans have been hunting practically since the beginning of time. Take a moment to look back at our country’s founding fathers and Native Americans. People in that era hunted as a means of survival. We all possess the skills of stalking prey. It’s in our blood. Hunting is automatically instilled in us being at the top of the food chain. Although looking back into history, one can also find that some hunting has diminished animal populations practically to the verge of extinction. However these facts have not gone unnoticed. If hunting is well regulated, whether it be for sport or recreational involvement, and there are no major affects to the species, if anything it may help bring back species from the edge of extinction. “Several wildlife managers view recreational hunting as the principal basis for protection of wildlife.”(Lebel)
Most people think that sharks are large, fast-swimmers, and savage predators. This is true of some species and groups should be interested of the appealing aspects of biology found within it: all sharks have an excellent sense of smell; some can detect electrical discharges; some sharks give birth to one of the
Riley, M. J., A. Harman., and R. G. Rees. 2009. Evidence of continued hunting of whale sharks Rhincodon typus in the Maldives. Environ. Biol. Fish. 86:371-374. (DOI:10.1007/s10641-009-9541-0).
Hunting is a prime pastime for millions of Americans. Being able to own a gun and to hunt animals on land that you own is an immeasurable blessing and privilege. With this privilege comes great responsibility which includes following the laws that have been put in place concerning hunting, such as not hunting without a permit, using the correct techniques when hunting specific animals, and knowing what weapons are legal to hunt the specific animal with. There are many different animals to hunt, and the techniques to hunt them are easily managed.
Bass, Rick. “Why I Hunt.” The McGraw-Hill Reader Issues across the Disciplines. 11th Edition. Gilbert Muller. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.
For centuries, humans have been hunting for food; but in today’s society, hunting is no longer necessary. Advances in the modern world gave people access to Grocery stores and Supermarkets where they can purchase meat instead of going into the woods to shoot down and slaughter an animal in order to feed their families. There is nothing wrong with hunting for food and there may even be times when hunting is necessary for human survival. Unfortunately, because hunting for survival is no longer the norm, much of today 's hunting is done for sport, trophies, or just for the rush of a kill. When, in reality, sport hunting is cruel, unnecessary, and should be banned globally.
The difficulty in tracing this species evolutionary history stems from the fact that its ancestry dates back 245 million years ago to the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Additional Interest Whale sharks have no real means of defending themselves and warding off attacks from the larger predators such as killer whales or the great white shark. The whale sharks means of defense is its thick skin. The whale shark has the thickest skin of any animal on the planet, and this is its only means of defense. Conclusion Rhincodon typus live in warm temperate seas, primarily found in tropical and subtropical climates.