The Jaws of Death: Sharks as Predator, Man as Prey

The Jaws of Death: Sharks as Predator, Man as Prey

The Jaws of Death: Sharks as Predator, Man as Prey

The Jaws of Death: Sharks as Predator, Man as Prey

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Overview

Biggest of all fish and the best equipped for hunting, sharks live in every ocean. No natural predator except the killer whale threatens them, and they possess an extraordinary physiology...including those unrivaled jaws. They have become the stuff of movies, books, and nightmares, but some of what we commonly believe is fiction, not fact. Through the examination of case histories, including gruesome attacks on man, The Jaws of Death documents the truth. It discusses why sharks are essential to the equilibrium of the marine biotope and what benefit they have provided to science and medicine. In addition to sharks, other "jaws of death" receive attention, including piranhas, crocodiles, and barracudas.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781628730616
Publisher: Skyhorse
Publication date: 08/17/2007
Sold by: SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format: eBook
Pages: 352
File size: 31 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Xavier Maniguet is best known as a survival specialist, but he is also a medical doctor, pilot, and parachutist, as well as the author of Survival: How to Prevail in Hostile Environments.

Table of Contents

Preface9
Acknowledgements11
Introduction13
1.Statistics Versus Myths
Total numbers15
Preconceived ideas17
2.An Historical Account
Devil sharks and god sharks23
From myth to symbol28
The reasons for fascination30
Sharks and the media32
A chapter of history35
3.An Extraordinary Machine
Devilish jaws45
A flawless set of teeth45
Sequences of a bite48
Feeding, appetite and digestion49
Exceptional sensory organs55
Hearing56
Smell57
The lateral line60
The pit organs: "taste buds" on the back62
An extraordinary eyesight64
The visual system of the Great White Shark69
The ampullae of Lorenzini: a unique organ70
Hydrodynamics and performance74
An organism for hydrodynamism75
A predator with two gears81
Variations and adaptations81
Respiration83
4.Peculiarities and Curiosities
The "Great White Death"87
Innocent giants89
The Tiger Shark: the "hyena of the seas"91
Display swimming of the Grey Reef Shark92
Motivation for an attack98
The markings of the Oceanic White-tip: lure or identity badge?101
Attacking nuclear submarines102
The shark's companions103
5.Attacks: Instructive Dramas
Accursed places107
Shipwrecks: sites of unsuspected carnage115
Boats are not always safe from attack131
Determined attacks137
Remarkable attacks144
Courageous victims146
Heroic rescuers148
A painless torture153
Post-mortem of an attack155
Some impossible statistics159
Preventive measures against sharks163
Prevention through education164
Prevention through facilities171
Passive on-the-spot protection178
Aggressive on-the-spot protection183
Conclusion186
6.Fact and Speculation
Captivity and adaptability189
The shark's brain191
Reproduction and maturation192
Reproduction192
Maturation196
Social behaviour and ecology of sharks196
Theories of evolution and the shark198
7.1001 Uses of a Shark
The shark as police-informer201
The shark as alibi206
Ecology and the fishing industry209
The shark as a game fish214
Shark cuisine220
The shark memento221
Sharkskin222
The shark in pharmacy and in surgery223
The shark and the cinema223
The shark virility test224
8.The Other Jaws of Death
Piranhas: myth or reality?227
The Killer Whale229
Crocodiles: fearsome predators230
Elementary precautions235
Barracudas: innocent animals unjustly accused236
9.Directory239
Glossary315
Bibliography317
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