Day Five – The Tiger Shark

I don’t know what it is about them, but the worse the shark’s reputation, the more I find myself interested in them. That’s kind of how I used to pick boyfriends, too. So, leaving that alone… let’s talk about the Tiger Shark!

Statistics

• One of the largest species of shark
• Commonly reaches 10-14 feet in length
• Can weigh as much as 1,400 pounds


I love this shark. It’s beautiful, first of all. It is known for its spots, which can also look like stripes. The markings are vivid in young sharks, but fade as the shark matures. Its other common names are leopard shark, maneater shark, and spotted shark. This shark is big, strong, mean and scary. Ok, maybe not mean. To say its mean indicates that there’s some sort of malice in its mind. Tiger sharks are non-discriminate hunters. Unlike the Great White, they will eat just about anything. Most of the stories you would hear about sharks ingesting non-digestible items, come from Tiger sharks. Their stomach contents has been known to include a chicken coop, a roll of tar paper, a license plate, tires, and a suit of armor. These sharks literally will eat anything.

Tiger sharks typically prefer murky waters in coastal areas. Tiger sharks undergo seasonal migrations. They move into temperate waters from the tropics for the warmer months and return during the winter. These sharks also make long oceanic migrations between islands and are capable of traveling long distances in a short amount of time.

Reproduction

The gestation period ranges from 14-16 months, at which time a female can give birth to anywhere from 10 to (get this!!) 80 pups. Eighty!! No wonder they don’t stick around to mother them! When pups are born they are between 12 and 18 inches in length.

Danger to Humans

The Tiger shark has been implicated in 158 attacks worldwide between 1580 and 2008. Their eyesight in water is ten times better than human eyesight. Not to worry though, their main food items are fish, crustaceans, sea birds, marine mammals and sea turtles.

Tonic Immobility

The tiger shark seems to be receptive to human touch. I saw this video of Mike Rutzen and his camera man/safety diver attempting tonic immobility on a tiger shark. It is amazing how easily it happens once they find the right spot. Isn’t that cool? How could one not love these animals?

The tiger shark generally hunts at night, and is a solitary hunter. It is an opportunistic hunter, taking advantage of anything it thinks will be an easy meal. It has been known to feast on dead whale carcasses as well as its typical prey items.

I'm swimming with these sharks some day. They are so amazing to me!

Sources

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Tigershark/tigershark.htm
http://elasmo-research.org/education/ecology/coral-tiger.htm
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/species2.htm