Sometimes nature is just out to screw with you. There are at least two kinds of shark that can, when handled, bark like dogs. Anyone who wonders if their bark is worse than their bite is welcome to try to find out.Making TV History with Star Trek: Discovery Share Subtitles
Another day, another way for nature to weird out. Sharks are sleek underwater predators that soundlessly stalk their prey. Except for the sharks that bark like dogs when they feel threatened. At least two kinds of shark, the swellshark and the draughtsboard shark, bark both in the water and on land. So far, scientists dont know exactly how they do it, or whether its intentional.Advertisement
Both sharks use the same mechanism to produce the barking sounds. When they are threatened, they suck in water. This makes them appear larger and, if theyre in a crevice, can wedge them in place so a predator cant extract them. When they expel the water, they make a hoarse sound that resembles a barking dog. This happens whether the shark is in the water or not, since the shark can make the sound in both water and air. To understand why this is remarkable, try singing with a throat full of water.Advertisement
The bark may just be a side effect of expelling material, but it may also be an intimidation tactic. Sharks that do this are only a few feet long and make their living eating the small fish and crustaceans in shallow waters along the coast, so they really need help intimidating anything. These are the sharks also regularly caught by people fishing off rocks and peers on the ocean shore, so if you ever reel in a shark, check to see if it barks at you. Advertisement
When the threat passes, the swell shark makes a dog-like bark when expelling the water. If the swell shark is caught and brought to the surface, it can also swell its body with air in the same manner as it does with water (Castro, 1983).
The bark may just be a side effect of expelling material, but it may also be an intimidation tactic. Sharks that do this are only a few feet long and make their living eating the small fish and crustaceans in shallow waters along the coast, so they really need help intimidating anything. These are the sharks also regularly caught by people fishing off rocks and peers on the ocean shore, so if you ever reel in a shark, check to see if it barks at you. Advertisement
Both sharks use the same mechanism to produce the barking sounds. When they are threatened, they suck in water. This makes them appear larger and, if theyre in a crevice, can wedge them in place so a predator cant extract them. When they expel the water, they make a hoarse sound that resembles a barking dog. This happens whether the shark is in the water or not, since the shark can make the sound in both water and air. To understand why this is remarkable, try singing with a throat full of water.Advertisement
Another day, another way for nature to weird out. Sharks are sleek underwater predators that soundlessly stalk their prey. Except for the sharks that bark like dogs when they feel threatened. At least two kinds of shark, the swellshark and the draughtsboard shark, bark both in the water and on land. So far, scientists dont know exactly how they do it, or whether its intentional.Advertisement
Sometimes nature is just out to screw with you. There are at least two kinds of shark that can, when handled, bark like dogs. Anyone who wonders if their bark is worse than their bite is welcome to try to find out.Making TV History with Star Trek: Discovery Share Subtitles
Before you scoff and write this off as an April Fools joke, check the time. Yes, it’s after midday, and no, we’re not jerking your chain.
The bark may just be a side effect of expelling material, but it may also be an intimidation tactic. Sharks that do this are only a few feet long and make their living eating the small fish and crustaceans in shallow waters along the coast, so they really need help intimidating anything. These are the sharks also regularly caught by people fishing off rocks and peers on the ocean shore, so if you ever reel in a shark, check to see if it barks at you.
Sharks are sleek underwater predators that soundlessly stalk their prey. Except for the sharks that bark like dogs when they feel threatened. At least two kinds of shark, the swellshark and the draughtsboard shark, bark both in the water and on land. So far, scientists don’t know exactly how they do it, or whether it’s intentional.
There are at least two kinds of shark that can, when handled, bark like dogs. Anyone who wonders if their bark is worse than their bite is welcome to try to find out.
Both sharks use the same mechanism to produce the barking sounds. When they are threatened, they suck in water. This makes them appear larger and, if they’re in a crevice, can wedge them in place so a predator can’t extract them. When they expel the water, they make a hoarse sound that resembles a barking dog. This happens whether the shark is in the water or not, since the shark can make the sound in both water and air. To understand why this is remarkable, try singing with a throat full of water.
barking sharks 1
FAQ
Which New Zealand shark barks by expelling water?
Are swell sharks aggressive?
How big are Draughtsboard sharks?
Do Sharks bark like dogs?
Some shark species, such as the great white shark, have been known to growl or make drumming sounds by grinding their teeth, while others, like the draughtsboard shark, can bark like a dog. However, these sounds are not used for communication but rather as a threat display or to startle potential prey.
Can a shark make a hoarse ‘bark’?
When the sphincter relaxes, trapped air passes out the shark’s stomach in an explosive rush, creating a hoarse ‘bark’ as it goes. So, at least one shark, the inflatable Draughtsboard Shark from New Zealand can produce sound. But I think there’s something deeper here.
How do Sharks talk?
The muscles in the larynx (the voice box) stretch and contract the cords to change the sounds being produced. The sound is then modified in the upper portion of the throat to make a roar, a bark, a call, or even speech. While sharks have many incredible abilities, talking isn’t one of them.
Do draughtsboard sharks bark?
It’s called the Draughtsboard Shark ( Cephaloscyllium isabellum ), and among New Zealand fishermen it is well known for its sound-producing proclivities. But no one knows for sure how, exactly, these sharks manage to bark. I’d like to propose the following theory: