Tiger Shark: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Fish and Sharks · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. It gets its name from the dark tiger-like stripes down its body. The stripes are boldest on young sharks and fade as they grow up.
2. Nicknamed a garbage eater, it gulps almost anything. Car number plates, oil cans, tyres and baseballs have all been swallowed by mistake.
3. Its jagged teeth have tips that bend sideways. They are built to cut through tough things, even the hard shells of sea turtles.
4. Tiny pits on its snout sense the faint electric signals that every prey animal gives off. This helps it hunt in the dark.
5. Babies grow inside their mother for up to 16 months. She then gives birth to anywhere from 10 to 80 pups.

The quiz

1. What happens to a tiger shark's stripes as it grows up?

• They turn bright orange
• They fade (correct)
• They become darker
• They spread onto its belly

The stripes are clearest on young sharks and fade with age.

2. Why is the tiger shark called a garbage eater?

• It lives next to rubbish dumps
• It eats only seaweed
• It hides shells in an underwater den
• It swallows things like tyres and oil cans by mistake (correct)

It eats almost anything and has swallowed objects such as tyres and oil cans.

3. What is special about a tiger shark's teeth?

• Their jagged tips point sideways (correct)
• They are flat for grinding plants
• They are never replaced
• It has no teeth, only hard lips

Its serrated teeth have a sideways tip that can cut even turtle shells.

4. What do the tiny pits on a tiger shark's snout detect?

• Sunlight at the surface
• Smells drifting in the air
• Faint electric signals from prey (correct)
• The taste of salt

They sense weak electrical signals made by prey, helping it hunt.

5. How many pups can a tiger shark mother have at once?

• Always just one
• From 10 to 80 (correct)
• Exactly two
• More than 500

Litters range from 10 to 80 pups.

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