These huge fish and greatest predators of the ocean must be respected.

Even when researching or viewing these huge creatures in cages underwater, as you will see this video below, can still be a dangerous situation.

However, many of them are misunderstood, as you will learn this week. In fact, in the clip above, you will notice, the shark was simply trying to break free from getting trapped atop the shark cage.

Being curious animals, it doesn’t surprise that this 18 foot great white shark wanted to check out the buoys…that’s just animal nature. As well, it was lured in by the whale carcass trailing the boat.

Be sure to tune into Discovery to learn so much about sharks you never knew before. With knowledge comes understanding & respect.

Have some fun with Shark Week – you can even shark yourself by using one of your photos and modifying it. Here’s mine!

Questions:

• What’s your take on sharks?
• Do you have a love or hate relationship with them?
• Do you have a shark story to share?

Please leave comments below.

photo:guardian.co.ukПравославни иконииконииконописikoniсвети георгиikoni

It’s Shark Week on Discovery is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

One of my readers – “Buy clownfish” asked me the question:

How much does that book on clownfish cost? I would like to know more on that fish.

I wanted to address that so that others out there are aware too, not only of the book, but about how much clownfish cost to purchase for your own aquarium.

The book he’s talking about is from my previous post about Clownfish. The book costs $15.16 and is all about them.

Actually, clownfish can range from around $14.99 for extra small ones that are more common…On the left is an example of a small Sebae Clownfish that’s tankraised for this price.

…all the way up to more rare and larger varieties like the “semi-picasso” for around $110.00 per fish. To the right is an example of the semi-picasso that’s tankraised for this price.

* Note: You can click on any of the photos to purchase that fish!

That’s a pretty good range with various colors and patterned varieties in between those amounts. So, it’s really up to you which one you’re partial to purchasing for your special aquarium.

There are even black clownfish that are in the mid-range of the pricing. This one on the left is a Black Ocellaris Clownfish for $50.00.

I’ve even fallen in love with these inexpensive, but more rare colored pink clownfish called “Pink Skunks” because of their single white stripe. Aren’t they cute?  These will only set you back $14.99 too!

So, as you can see, there is some serious variety by way of colors, sizes, patterns and whether their tankraised or wild caught.

Any which way, they’re beautiful little fish that have proven to be very intelligent as well.

You’ll want to add an anemone for them in your tank because this is their natural habitat.

Anemone are poisonous and eat other fish, but the clownfish is immune to their sting and use the anemone to protect them. So, they sleep and raise their young inside the protection of the anemone’s tentacles.

Hope that answers your questions!

For more information about their natural habitat, check out: Clownfish on the Great Barrier Reef

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I hope you enjoyed this Exotic Pet Care info on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Don’t forget the Anemone to keep these little guys happy in your aquarium:

Condy Anemone The Condy Anemone is a member of the family Actiniidae. It is Caribbean in origin and is also known as the Haitian Anemone or Giant Golden Anemone. Though hardy, it requires a moderate level of care. Suitable diet includes filter feeding invert food, Mysis shrimp, phytoplankton and small pieces of Silver Side and raw shrimp. Though it lives in symbiosis with Zooxanthellae Algae, it does not associate with any type of Clownfish. The Condy usually buries its base in the sand for protection and stability. It does best with live rock and crustaceans, although the Red-Legged Hermit Crab is a common predator. Desire to move around within a reef environment makes it a possible sting threat to corals and other anemones. Drip acclimation is recommended for all inverts to avoid rapid changes in water chemistry. Copper based medications can be fatal for inverts. ADULT SIZE: 6 inchesPREFERRED AQUARIUM:20 Gal Minimum TEMPERATURE:74 to 82 pH:8.1 to 8.4 CARE LEVEL: Moderate TEMPERAMENT: Semi-Aggressive lDIET: Carnivore REEF SAFE: Yes Lighting: High Water Flow: Medium

Technorati Tags: clownfish, buy clownfish, black clownfish, pink clownfish, semi picasso clownfish, clownfish care, fish, fish care, exotic fish, exotic pets, anemone

How Much do Clownfish Cost? is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

When you read the ingredients on the back of food packages, it’s often we all get “lost”…to say the least.

Well, multiply that by 10 when you’re talking about pet food…pets eat things we don’t…

So, how often do you actually look on the back of your turtle food container and question the ingredients…Not often, I suspect.

Same goes for gerbil food or bird food.

Well, I have information on one ingredient in some fish foods you might want to include in their diet.

If you have fish that aren’t white (and supposed to be white), then Spirulina is a great supplement in some fish foods that will enhance color.

For instance, if you have fancy goldfish, like we do, who are brightly colored oranges, browns, reds, apricot or yellow, feeding them food with Spirulina in it will make them more brightly colored.

We had a white goldfish in the group with a red cap and it started tainting or discoloring the white scales, but made their red cap more brightly colored. So, we stopped feeding her food with spirulina in it and her white scales became white again.

So, depending upon what your goal is with your fish, be aware if there is Spirulina in the food.

In our colored fish tank, they get a healthy portion of spirulina in their food.

Read your labels…

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I hope you enjoyed this Exotic Pet post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Brighten up your fish by feeding them Spirulina Food:

H.b.h Enterprises Super Soft Spirulina 6.5 oz Super Soft Spirulina 6.5Oz

Technorati Tags: fish food, spirulina in fish food, spirulina, make fish brighter, colorful fish, fish colors, enhance fish color, food for fish color, colored fish, goldfish, fancy goldfish, goldfish food

Spirulina in Fish Food for Colored Fish is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

One of the neatest varieties of shark is the Hammerhead Shark!

Why?
Well, because it’s head actually looks like a hammer with their head flattened and that extends laterally to make that strange shape. The hammerhead’s eyes and nostrils are at the tips of the hammer extensions.

Wow – How neat is that?

The largest hammer on a hammerhead shark is the winghead shark.

These sharks use their heads to sweep for prey and since all sharks have electroreceptory, hammerheads have an advantage because these pores along their “snout” are more extensive than other sharks.

Although they have a “big head”, hammerhead sharks have relatively small mouths, so they do a lot of bottom feeding on prey on or in the sand.

During the day, they like to swim in schools, but at night, they go solitary to hunt!

Are They Dangerous to Humans?
Of the 9 known species of hammerhead shark, 3 are dangerous to humans – the scalloped, great and smooth hammerhead.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Sphyrnidae
Genus: Sphyrna
Species: There are 9 Species of Hammerhead Shark

Conservation Status: The Scalloped Hammerhead is on the Red List and Endangered and the Smalleye Hammerhead is Vulnerable.

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I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. For more information on the Hammerhead Shark and how they survive in the ocean, check out this awesome book:

Survival in the Sea: The Story of a Hammerhead Shark [With Plush Hammerhead Shark] General ; Children’s Books / Ages 4-8 Fiction, Survival in the Sea: The Story of a Hammerhead Shark [With Plush Hammerhead Shark]

Technorati Tags: Shark Week, hammerhead shark, sharks, fish, marine animals, ocean animals, hammer head shark, winghead shark

Hammerhead Sharks on Shark Week is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Sand sharks aren’t often spoken of – they’re not the Great White Shark, nor an interesting Hammerhead Shark, but they’re so interesting nonetheless!

Why Are Sand Sharks Different?
Sand sharks are different because they’re know to come to the surface for gulps of air.

Why? Because they actually have a rudimentary swim bladder like other fish do, but very unlike other sharks.

Although this is strange, it helps them have exceptional controlled buoyancy in the shallow waters as they hover, ready to make their move when hunting prey.

Sand sharks also have a large, second dorsal fin, whereas other sharks do not.

When sand sharks develop, they only have 2 embryos, one in each uterus. The strongest pups eat the others and any unfertilized eggs in each uterus. When they are born, they are about 1 meter long.

Sand sharks grow up to 250 pounds and 13 feet long, which is rather slight compared to other sharks.

However, they’re not also called tiger sand sharks or ragged tooth sharks for nothing. They have extremely long, very sharp, needle-like teeth that are smooth on the edges.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Odontaspididae
Genera: Carcharias, Odontaspis
Species: There are 4 Species of Sand Shark

Conservation Status: Sand tiger sharks are Species of Concern when it comes to conservation as they’ve been over-fished for not only their fins, but for fishmeal and oil from their livers.

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I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. If you go to the University of South Carolina Beaufort, then you will certainly want to pick up your pendant of your mascot – the Sand Shark:

South Carolina (Beaufort) Sand Sharks 5/8 USCB Shark Pendant – Sterling Silver Jewelry Enjoy this pendant featuring the South Carolina (Beaufort) Sand Sharks. A great gift for any NCAA fan! Pendant Size: 5/8 Sterling silver finish Express your team pride with jewelry from LogoArt®. LogoArt® charms are available in 14KT and 10KT gold, sterling silver and gold plated sterling silver. The precise detail of your favorite team’s logo is captured in expensive metal molds. Items are cast of precious metals and hand finished. Team up your pendant with one of LogoArt®’s matching charms , earrings or stylish All Star or Starlette watches.

Technorati Tags: Shark Week, sharks, shark, fish, ocean animals, sand sharks, tiger sand sharks, ragged tooth sharks

Sand Sharks are Different From Other Sharks – Shark Week is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Yup, I did that…It all seems a little surreal today as I think back, but I did it.

In fact, if you’re surfing anywhere, you’re likely to be surfing with these heavily teethed fish…

I felt very secure where we were – inside a coral reef by Lancelin Island in Western Australia.

The friends I was with surfing had been coming to this very beach year in and year out from their youth.

I was learning how to boogie-board (sometimes called body boarding) and progressing up to a surfboard.

We never saw anything suspicious – in fact, we never even saw dolphins there.

We surfed at Christmas for about 2 weeks straight every day in between sun tanning and eating seafood, of course…

The last day, right before we left we decided to get one more surf in. I was excited because I’d learned the fundamentals well and was pretty confident, after being banged around a bit on the reef for a good 2 weeks.

Everyone was taking their last ride in on the wave of their choice and for whatever reason, I ended up being the last person out there with people getting out of the water and standing on the beach watching.

Waiting for the perfect final wave to catch, I saw my friends waving at me from the shore, so I waved back, thinking we were all just having a lot of fun.

I caught that next wave and had a great ride in – satisfied with my first surfing experiences during our vacation.

We packed up and were driving North – back home to Perth.

My friends said, “Canuck…” (they called me Canuck because I’m Canadian), “…Remember when we were all waving at you on the beach when you were about to catch your last wave in?”…

I said, “Yes…Why?”

They continued to tell me that they were waving because there was a big shark coming straight toward me – they could see it’s fin above the surf…but they didn’t want to startle me and alarm the shark even more of a frightened creature – making me as a human seem like a scared turtle – a tasty snack for a large shark, which could have been a Great White or a Tiger shark in this area.

Wow – God was watching me that day – I caught that very next wave in and they didn’t want to really scare me at the beach by telling me there…

That was my experience surfing with sharks.

Really, until I just wrote this post, it was never very “personal” to me because it was a story that I didn’t feel like I experienced…But imagining the scene with what happened in the water that day just made that memory very “real”…

Phew, and I blessed!

Have fun, but be careful and be aware of what’s going on…Be as calm as you can be. Try not to dangle your arms and legs off your surfboard so as to look like a tasty turtle.

Most shark attacks are acts of mistaken identity. Sharks don’t really prefer the taste of humans. In fact, they often spit you out after an attack. However, the severe damage has already been done, most of the time.

Be smart out there…

***

I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. If you’re a boogie boarder too, check out this cool boogie board sock I found to protect your board when transporting it:

OCEAN AND EARTH Bodyboard Sock Ocean & Earth’s Bodyboard Sock is a stretch cover that fits boards plus or minus 3 from specified cover size.

Technorati Tags: sharks, shark week, Australian sharks, Lancelin Island, surfing Australia, boogie boarding, body boarding, coral reef, Great White shark, Tiger shark, fish, Australian animals, ocean animals

Surfing With Sharks in Australia is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

What do I know about sharks?

Well, I know a little bit about sharks. I’ve swam with them, I’ve seen them, and I’ve surfed with them.

Yeah, I know them a little bit!

I traveled around Australia back in 1995 for a few months backpacking my way through the center of Aussie, hitting the Northern Territory and going West back down the coast all the way back to Perth, Western Australia.

On my journey, I stopped in Exmouth, Western Australia where I had the amazing opportunity to swim with whale sharks out past the reef.

A helicopter would relay the coordinates of the whale sharks they spotted to our diving boat and we’d get there as quickly as possible to be dropped off right in front of their path.

They typically swim slow enough for you to be able to keep up with them for a while, then they’ll delve into the dark, deep waters off the coast when they’ve had enough of us or swim much faster to get ahead.

These creatures are larger than a bus! What a life-changing experience to feel so very small and insignificant to this Ocean Animal!

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Orectolobiformes
Family: Rhincodontidae
Genus: Rhincodon
Species: R. typus

Conservation Status:
This is considered to be a vulnerable species for endangerment!

Amazing creatures and I do hope that one day, you’ll get to see one in the wild too!

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I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Let your kids get interactive with whale sharks by surprising them with these 2 figurines:

Safari 210602 Whale Shark Animal Figure- Pack of 2 stunning scale model ocean replicas expertly sculpted with the collaboration of the scientists of the monterey bay aquarium in monterey, california. this unique colletion of ocean creatures are found in the waters off the coast of the half moon bay which is where the aquarium is located. it is approximately 100 miles south of san francisco. the mission of the aquarium is to foster ocean conservation and protect it and its sea dwellers throughout the world. safari shares this commitment with them. each replica is finely hand painted and accurate down to the last scale. educational information in five languages provides excellent data to help teach children about these mysteries of the deep. all our products are phthalate-free and thoroughly safety tested to safeguard your child’s health. safari ltd takes pride in providing breathtaking, innovative and value priced figures for now over three generations. featured is our monterey bay whale shark size: 10″ l x 2.5″ h (25.5 x 6.5 cm). suggested age 3 and up

Technorati Tags: fish, Australian animals, sharks, whale sharks, Exmouth Australia, Australia, Exmouth, whale shark diving, whale shark spotting, whale shark swimming, whale shark snorkeling, snorkeling, shark week

Whale Sharks in Australia is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Well, the day before we went whale shark swimming in Exmouth, Australia, I took a tour where we snorkeled off of the coast of Exmouth’s pure, white sand beaches.

I was a little nervous about the sharks and asked the “local girl” that came with us if it was pretty safe. She said that the only sharks you’d see would be white-tipped reef sharks and they don’t bug you unless you provoke them, but that we probably wouldn’t even see any of them where we were.

So, I got up the courage to get out there, since I had to be ready for whale shark swimming in the open ocean the next morning, and waded out into the water. I put my face under the water with my mask on, and what’s the first thing I see? A whitetip reef shark!

Wow – I think I grew a jet propeller out of my body and was back into the shore within seconds, it seemed! LOL

However, after having a good pep talk with myself, I got back out there and enjoyed the rest of the day, not to see another shark again! LOL…

We did get to see giant clams, numerous fish, corals and even some dolphins swimming afar.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Triaenodon
Species: T. obesus

Wow – more stories tomorrow!

***

I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Want to visit Exmouth? Stay at the Best Western Sea Breeze Resort:

Best Western Sea Breeze Resort 38450-Best Western Sea Breeze Resort-116 North C Street Harold E. Holt Naval Base-Exmouth-6707-Western Australia-AUS-

Technorati Tags: white tipped reef shark, sharks, fish, white tip, reef shark, Australian animals, snorkeling Australia, snorkeling, Exmouth, Exmouth Australia, Australia

My First Shark Sighting – Whitetip Reef Sharks is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Exotic Animal News-Flash:

If you’re looking for some great Shark shows to watch this week, then check out the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week starting August 2nd!

So, in honor of this, ExoticAnimalLover.com will also be hosting a Shark Week!

Power-packed shows giving you more information on the oceans’ largest predator – a dinosaur of sorts!

These misunderstood animals of the deep will be concentrated on all week on the Discovery Channel and on Exotic Animal Lover!

I’ll tell you all about my experiences with Sharks too…

Guess what…Sharks are actually FISH!

Go ahead – Take a Shark Break!

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Selachimorpha

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I hope you enjoy this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Can’t get enough of Shark Week? Get your own 20th Anniversary Edition of Shark Week complete with 4 DVDs:

Shark Week-20th Anniversary DVD 4 Discs Format DVD UPC Code 014381401622 Brand IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT

Technorati Tags: fish, sharks, shark, shark week, Discovery Channel, marine animals, ocean animals

Shark Week Starts Today on Exotic Animal Lover is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Exotic Animal Newsflash:
Scientists have finally discovered where the heck those basking sharks go during the winter months.

Previously thought to be a cold water fish, this shark will migrate from New England in the Western Atlantic all the way down to the Bahamas!

They even recorded one of the sharks they tracked hanging out for 1 month at the mouth of the Amazon River.

Animals are just full of surprises, arent’ they?

What was most intriguing about basking sharks is that no one has ever seen a baby or a pregnant female or a basking shark giving birth.

They measure up to 35 m long and are the 2nd largest fish in the world behind the whale shark.

They are slow moving and generally harmless in nature. Even though they’re sharks, this species is a filter feeder.

They are labeled a threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Cetorhinidae
Genus: Cetorhinus
Species: C. maximus

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I hope you enjoyed this Fish post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Exotic Animal Lover Updates are Just 1 Click Away!

Technorati Tags: basking shark, sharks, shark, fish, marine animals, North American animals, South American animals, ocean animals

Basking Shark Mystery Migration Solved is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover