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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing tiger sharks. These are some of the largest sharks alive on our planet. That fact might be a bit intimidating coupled with the idea floating around the internet that these are some of the most dangerous sharks, but a person is more likely to die from drowning than by shark attack, so let’s not sensationalize things here. Tiger sharks do cause human deaths, but these are quite rare.

Tiger sharks live throughout the world’s temperate and tropical waters, though they aren’t found in the Mediterranean Sea. While they can be found in open water, especially during migrations, they are known to prefer murky, coastal habitats and especially like seagrass beds. Tiger sharks are commonly found in harbors, lagoons, and estuaries meaning they can tolerate brackish water. These sharks are most frequently found in shallow water from 8 to 475 feet (2.5 to 145m) deep, but they’ve been spotted as deep as 1,150 feet (350m). Tiger sharks migrate with the weather. As it gets cold, they head for warmer, tropical seas, and vice versa in warmer months.

Tiger sharks get their common name from their tiger stripe pattern. This pattern is most obvious in younger sharks, as it can completely fade with age. Something cute to note here is that tiger shark pups may sometimes get confused with leopard sharks. There are, however, another species of shark commonly known as the leopard shark who has striped babies! Common animal names are fun.

Tiger sharks are known to live at least two decades in the wild, though the oldest living recorded was more than double this. Female tiger sharks often have chewed up dorsal fins because the males bite these while they mate. She’ll give birth to live young, known as pups, after a 13 to 16 month gestation period. This typically occurs in the springtime. She may have anywhere from ten to 82 pups at a time. They are on their own from birth. Tiger sharks don’t face predators with the exception of humans who hunt them for their fins and oil. It takes seven to ten years for tiger sharks to reach reproductive maturity.

Tiger sharks rival great whites in size reaching up to 18 feet (5.5m) long but on average they’re between 10 and 14 feet (3 to 4.3m) in length. With that big size, these sharks have a big appetite. Tiger sharks are known as the ocean’s garbage can because they’ll eat just about anything. From floating plastic to decaying carrion, as well as all sorts of living prey like sea turtles, rays, other fish, sea birds, sea mammals like dolphins and seals, squids, crustaceans, and more, tiger sharks eat it all. That doesn’t mean they’re out to get humans, though. In fact, some people swim with tiger sharks. These fish just need to be treated with respect. Tiger sharks are known to take a single bite and tear chucks out of larger animals. They tend to hunt alone, though have been seen in groups with a handful of members as larger feeding sites like a floating whale corpse. Tiger sharks are most active at night but they’re seen on cloudy days, as well.

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