Monthly Archives: February 2019

The Shark

By   02/25/2019

The Shark

In a world with over 1,000 different shark breeds (1), a single post to cover them all would simply be irrational. Instead, let’s focus in on four of the most critically endangered breeds: The hammerhead, the whale shark, the great white, and the natal shyshark (2). There are other breeds that are in greater danger than these but we’ll look at these instead because, together, they flawlessly represent the different outlooks on this species as well as the nature of the shark.

Before delving into the descriptions of these sharks let’s check out some of their history. There are three major Greek mythologies surrounding the shark. The general theme? Punishment. It was said in the myth of Lamia that Lamia, daughter of Poseidon, the sea god, had an affair with Zeus, the king of the gods. When Zeus’ wife discovered this, she stole and killed all of Lamia’s children. As revenge, Lamia had Zeus turn her into a shark-monster so that she could kill and eat the children of others as revenge against Hera (Zeus’ wife). In the tale of Cetus, Andromeda bragged to Poseidon that her daughter was more beautiful than his own, after which he released a shark-monster named Cetus to kill her. However, when Perseus intervened, the monster of Cetus was destroyed. Similarly, in the myth of Akheilos, the son of Zeus boasted that he was more attractive than the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, and was therefor turned into a shark as punishment(3). As for their timeline of existence, the general species of the Shark has outlived the dinosaurs at the stunning age of 400,000,000 (four hundred million) years(1).

Description

Great White: As what is, perhaps, the most well-known of the shark breeds, the great white holds a certain reputation as a killer that it just can’t seem to loose. Its method of killing, however, is perhaps the most humane of all animals, crushing their prey with  immense force, ending its life in a single second. Even pursuits are quite rare with this shark. Ranging from 15 to 20 feet and weighing up to 2.5 tons, this is one of the largest fish in the world and is the only direct descendant of the megalodon. It mainly dines on smaller fish, dolphins, and a few seabirds(4).

Hammerhead: This shark ranges from 3 to 19 feet in length and weighs anywhere from 6 to over 1,000 pounds. It lives in a school during the day, unlike most sharks, but then hunts alone at night. The distinctive hammer-like shape of its head allows it a complete 360° view of its surroundings, but can literally be used as a hammer for stunning small fish and rays, on rare occasions. Perhaps the hammer’s most useful implication though is that, like all sharks, the pores in this shark’s head lead to sensory systems in the brain that detect the electricity given off by other organisms, and by spreading those pores out, the hammer shape creates something similar to an antenna. This particular shark eats squid, octopus, smaller fish and sharks, and they especially enjoy stingrays(5).

Natal Shyshark: The shyshark can reach up to 20 inches in length and sports a dark/light brown back with very small white dots. They received their name because of their tenancy to curl up and cover their eyes with their tail whenever they feel threatened(6).

Whale shark: With a lifespan of over 70 years(7), the whale shark weighs up to ten tons and averages at about 32 feet in length, although some researchers claim to have seen some ranging up to 69 feet long. These fish are a red/brown color with many white spots across its back. This shark lives in warm tropical waters, such as the Philippines, and (surprisingly enough) eats only plankton(8).

Threats

As mentioned before, these sharks are all endangered on some level and a few reasons exist for this. The primary issue is over-fishing. Shark Fin Soup is a delicacy is many countries and cultures but wreaks havoc upon the species that are favored for these recipes, such as the great white and the hammerhead. In addition, as with most marine animals, fishing endeavors can spell disaster for individual sharks whenever nets are involved. Hammerheads are perhaps at the most danger when it comes to fishing nets, as one could imagine, due to the odd, protruding shape of their heads. The only other major threat to these creatures is the recent rise in ocean temperatures, as sharks are extremely particular about their habitat and require very specific conditions.

The Importance of the Shark

As is the case with all predators, the shark is vital to its ecosystem because of its standing in the food web. Without the great white, for example, seal populations would skyrocket. You may be thinking that this doesn’t sound too bad since seals are extremely cute, but consider what would become of certain penguin populations if seals became too common. The shark is another vital link in the food chain that can not be allowed to break.

How Can We Help?

The main ways in which we can help is to simply be responsible with our consumption of products that may affect sharks (such as fin soup or other fish that are caught with nets in shark habitat), “adopting” a whale shark through the World Wildlife Fund, and, of course, making donations and contributions to organisations such as WWF. Many of us find sharks to be terrifying, blood-thirsty creatures but this is not true at all! Yes, some of them look a bit sinister but humans are nowhere near being listed as their intentional diet, and many, if not most, shark breeds are actually extremely docile and some are even borderline cute! That was our reason for using the four species that we did. Great whites and hammerheads tend to look pretty mean and… well hungry, whereas whale sharks are incredibly docile and shysharks, in my own opinion, are actually kind of cute. I hope that this diversity in our book’s cover has shown us just how different its pages might be. Just know that these aren’t monsters sent as a punishment from the gods, but are instead scared inhabitants of earth, just hoping to live another day.

 

 

(1). https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/shark

(2). https://blog.nature.org/science/2018/07/23/meet-the-worlds-10-most-endangered-sharks/

(3). https://www.sharksider.com/shark-mythology/

(4). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark

(5). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammerhead_shark

(6). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natal_shyshark

(7). https://blog.nature.org/science/2014/04/09/whale-sharks-swimming-with-the-worlds-largest-fish/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAwc7jBRD8ARIsAKSUBHI7m9xRcqfPQiFV0cnO1rgc6F9Za5Am_gxLDdTRIyI2tJVg05fJqkEaAhqJEALw_wcB

(8). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark

Philippine Eagle

By   02/04/2019

The Philippine Eagle

The Philippine Eagle, one of the largest eagle species in the world, is probably best known for its incredible ability to carry away creatures as large as monkeys(1). It is said by the Bagobo Tagabawa people that a banog (great eagle) once carried a man away to its nest before having an eaglet. This eaglet then became friends with the man and eventually returned him to his people. The man then named his son, who would be the founder of the first Tagabawa villages, after this eagle. The title of Datu Banog is still used for many leaders in this culture who have special wisdom and courage(1).

Description

The Philippine eagle is the second largest eagle species in the world (beaten, in bulk, by the harpy eagle but still winning in height) and weighs anywhere between eight to seventeen pounds and stands roughly a meter tall(2), with an average wingspan of 6.5 feet(1). Its colorations are your basic variations of brown with a white underbelly (nothing special there) but this eagle does display an impressive feather-crest around its face and neck which is frequently described as a main or a warlike headdress. It utilizes a large, curved, black beak for tearing at meat and prey, and it has been described as having blue eyes, although that is not always the case.

Threats

Of course, this creature does face critical endangerment with only 400 of them remaining in the wild, dispersed over four of the 6,000 Philippine islands, Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. As is the case for many endangered species, the Philippine eagles’ greatest threat is deforestation. Having lost 75% of their forests, the Philippines are home to prized tropical hardwood trees among illegal loggers; the same trees that the eagles nest in. It doesn’t help that females only lay one egg every two years, and that the eaglet remains with its parents for a year and a half; there isn’t much opportunity for recovery. As the now grown eagle roams on its own for four years until it reaches sexual maturity, it tends to aggravate farmers by frequently preying on their livestock and even small dogs. This results in many farmers declining the opportunity to help these eagles through agroforestry and by guarding the area from poachers. Nor could one blame them. After all, why would they help something that is impairing their way of life? Therefor, economic incentives have routinely been offered to these farmers by conservation agencies and they are often quite effective(1).

The Importance of the Philippine Eagle

The Philippine eagle is the top predator of the Philippines, keeping its entire ecosystem balanced. The loss of this vital link would result in the immediate entanglement of the food web, and would cause some severe issues for the people and animals of the Philippines. Not only is this eagle necessary for the health of its environment, it also serves as a major component of the Philippine culture and mythology. In addition, this creature attracts so much tourism that is even plays a role in the Philippine economy!(3)

How Can We Help?

Although the help that we can personally offer these eagles is extremely limited, there are a number of conservation efforts to which we can donate in hopes of further protection for the Philippine eagles’ habitat, as well as further educational opportunities for those who do have hands-on opportunities, such as the Philippine Eagle Foundation, and other efforts that can be found through the Whitney Fund for Nature. We have conquered nature in many ways and we have the ability, the responsibility, to save it whenever a savior may be required.

(1). https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/01/philippine-eagle-chick-birth-to-flight/

(2). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_eagle#Description

(3). http://www.philippineeaglefoundation.org/the-philippine-eagle