Sharks have always fascinated human beings, who tend to see them as dangerous predators... In fact, only five of the 465 shark species eat humans when they have the opportunity. Most attacks are actually accidental, occurring when sharks are looking for a turtle or a seal to feed on. On average, five people are considered to be killed by sharks each year, whereas nearly 100,000,000 sharks are killed by humans annually. It is therefore time to reconsider our view of “who is the predator and who is the prey”!
Even so, it remains an impressive animal, at least in the form that first comes to mind: the great white shark or the whale shark. The 17 cm-long Etmopterus Perryi is unlikely to impress us. Rest assured, our aim is not to list the 35 shark families, but to introduce you to this truly remarkable animal.
The shark, or selachian, is not a mammal like a dolphin or whale, but a cartilaginous fish, like a ray. Like all other fish, it breathes through gills. To do so, it has five to seven gill slits through which oxygen passes. The shark is a very ancient animal. It has retained its present form (at least for some species) for 100,000,000 years!
One distinctive feature of the shark’s fearsome jaw is that it is not attached to its skull. Its famous sharp teeth are not the same in every species: shark teeth are adapted to each species’ diet. Another remarkable feature is that they are regularly replaced. Some shark species can therefore lose up to 30,000 teeth over the course of their lives.
Sharks have highly developed senses. This is particularly true of their sense of smell, which they use through their two nostrils. These allow them to detect prey from a distance of 75 metres.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, sharks are fascinating animals for humans and, consequently, a popular subject among postcard collectors ! An unusual fishing catch, particularly in the 19th century, the shark has appeared on postcards for a very long time. Human fascination with this large fish led to sharks being kept in captivity in aquariums. As a result, shark postcards are inevitably among the best-selling cards in souvenir shops.
And, of course, to help overcome the deep fear that some people have of sharks, there are all kinds of humorous postcards, illustrated with photographs or simply drawn. It is obviously impossible to show all the shark-themed postcards that exist in just a few illustrations, but here is an appealing selection which, we hope, will inspire you to collect postcards featuring this extraordinary animal with the help of Delcampe!
Discover the animal postcards for sale on Delcampe!
