Other names

Leopard Shark

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. The open sea, primarily, but many - including some giants - come close to the beaches.

Description

Easily recognized by its pattern - and often by sheer size. Color is dark above, yellowish below. On smaller specimens, the darker markings take the shape of spots - hence the name "Leopard." The big ones become "Tigers" as the spots grow and blend together into stripes. The patterns, however, do vary a great deal.

Size

The largest offically measured Tiger Shark was 5.5 metres (18 feet) but it is thought they may possibly get a bit bigger. Species probably grows to a ton in weight. World record 1,780 pounds.

Diet

They are an opportunist when it comes to feeding. When a tiger shark is hungry it will swallow everything it comes across: Tarpon, moray eels, gray mullet, sole, other sharks, sea turtles, sea snakes, iguanas, crocodiles, frigatebirds, cormorants, pelicans, penguins, albatross, sea lions, seals, dolphins, dead whales, crayfish, crabs, octopus, chickens, rats, pigs, sheep, dogs, hyenas, monkeys, leather coats, boat cushions, driftwood, conch shells, horseshoe crabs, an unopened can of salmon, a wallet, a two pound coil of copper wire, nuts and bolts, bundles ofwool, cotton, silk, pens, plastic bags, cans, bottles, pieces of metal, bags of potatoes, coal, a drivers license, a cow's hoof, a tire, nails, the antlers of a deer, lobsters, a chicken coop with feathers and bones still inside, license plates, gasoline cans, cigarette tins, men, women, and children all have been found in the stomachs of tiger sharks at one time or another.

Public Image

Tiger Sharks grow very big and can be very dangerous. They are responsible for a large number of human deaths. They are most common in warmer water. Although some adults will stay in one area they are also known to be able to move hundreds of kilometres. Young sharks have the very distinctive tiger stripes but in very large specimens they may not be present. They have strong, serrated upper teeth but instead of being triangular they are hooked or cockcomb shaped. That means the point is not straight down but turned to the side. This shark has been known to come into very shallow water, sometimes with most of their body exposed and they have also been found as deep as 150 metres. The Tiger can get extremely large up to 6 metres, maybe more. Seems to prefer the deep water out to sea during the day and will come in close to reefs and the shoreline at night. It will sometimes also come in close to shore during daytime.

Some of the stories of what this shark will eat are probably exaggerated but it has eaten some rather unusual things. It feeds mostly at night and this is when it is more likely to come in closer to shore and reefs. This shark is often noted for its habit of eating anything it finds and reports of household objects and metal are common. It likes to eat turtles and will often wait around shallow water during the breeding season. Divers will often see turtles with large bite marks out of their shell, a lasting mark of a lucky escape! It is also known to have a liking for sea snakes.